Barcelona Tourist Information
This art gallery is dedicated to Joan Miro I Fera, born on the 20th of April 1893 and who died on the 25th of December 1983. This foundation possesses the biggest public collection of his work: paintings, ceramics, textiles, movies and sculptures. Earning international acclamation, his work has been interpreted as Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike, and a manifestation of Catalan pride. In numerous interviews dating from the 1930s onwards, Miró expressed contempt for conventional painting methods as a way of supporting bourgeoise society, and famously declared an “assassination of painting” in favour of upsetting the visual elements of established painting. Generally thought of as a Surrealist because of his interest in automatism and the use of sexual symbols, Miró’s style was influenced in varying degrees by Surrealism and Dada.
Joan Miró i Ferra also won several awards in his lifetime. In 1954 he was given the Venice Biennale print making prize, in 1958 the Guggenheim International Award, and in 1980 he received the Gold Medal of Fine Arts from King Juan Carlos of Spain
It’s said that Miro has been mainly influenced by shapes he saw on his bedroom’s ceiling. Some people say that these shapes don’t have any sense because they don’t have any artistic meaning. For others, this work is simply wonderful…Here is a quote from Miro:
“How did I think up my drawings and my ideas for painting? Well I’d come home to my Paris studio in Rue Blomet at night, I’d go to bed, and sometimes I hadn’t any supper. I saw things, and I jotted them down in a notebook. I saw shapes on the ceiling…”
The Foundation shelters some of Miro’s greatest works, such as “The golden azure” which shows his passion for symbols and signs. However, the foundation also shelters collections provided by others artists. Moreover, the Foundation itself is an architectural work of art created by Josep Luis Sert in 1975.
Just next to this foundation (Joan Miro de Montjuic), you will find a park where you can see the famous sculpture « Dona i l’Ocell » (Women and bird). This park is called “Escordaxor » or The Joan Miro Park and it is quite easy to find it; it is just beside Plaza Espanya. The sculpture has been created in 1983 and it’s 22 meters high. The whole sculpture is covered in mosaics.
Montjuic is easily reachable from the city centre. You can take the underground’s line number 2 or 3 in direction of Parallel. Otherwise, you can also take the funicular for Montjuic. The entrance costs 8€ for adults and 6€ for children.
If you have booked a hotel (hotel barcelone) near to Las Ramblas you will be really closed to all Barcelona’s sightseeing. However, I strongly recommend you to book among the wide range of apartments (hotels barcelone) as soon as possible.
