Joan Miro in Barcelona circa 1935 

Yesterday marked the 117th anniversary of Spanish artist Joan Miró’s birth. (Want to learn how to pronounce his name? Click here). His paintings and sculpture are famous for their bold, pure colors, amoeba-like forms and intricate lines. Instead of meticulously planning compositions, Miró let his hand move randomly across the canvas, creating automatic drawings that tapped into his subconscious.

When asked how he came up with content, Miró once said:

“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…”

In the final stages of his life, Miró began experimenting in different media. He created a tapestry for the World Trade Center in New York City in 1974 and the work was displayed there for many years. It was one of the most expensive works of art lost during the attacks on 9/11.

Here’s a sampling of Miró’s work, and similar pieces by UGALLERY artists:

Joan Miró Person Throwing a Stone at a Bird (1926)

Austin Furtak-Cole Right Hand Man

Joan Miró Constellation: The Morning Star (1940)

Beo Nguyen Balance

Joan Miró Hermitage (1924)

Xinyu Zhang Lotus Pond #4