Plate (folio 6) from Il était une petite pie (Once There Was a Little Magpie)

Plate (folio 6) from Il était une petite pie (Once There Was a Little Magpie) is a significant piece of graphic work by the Spanish modernist Joan Miró. This example, created between 1927–28 and published in 1928, originates from a limited edition illustrated book featuring a suite of eight pochoirs. The selection highlights Miró’s crucial shift toward abstract and Surrealist tendencies during this foundational period of his career.

The medium employed, pochoir, is a highly refined stencil technique often utilized in early 20th-century French printmaking. This method allowed Miró to achieve flat, dense fields of color with precise, sharp edges, complementing the clean, graphic quality of his lines and forms. The visual language of the folio sheet is typical of Miró at the time, featuring floating biomorphic shapes, primary colors, and dynamic linear elements that evoke a sense of cosmic playfulness and subconscious automatism. The composition rejects conventional perspective and narrative structure, focusing instead on the evocative power of abstracted signs and symbols.

As an Illustrated Book classification, this work underscores the pivotal role of collaborative print projects in the dissemination of avant-garde ideas. The entire publication, Il était une petite pie, stands as a landmark in Spanish artistic contributions to international modernism. Miró’s consistent exploration of different printmaking techniques, including the use of pochoir, ensured his experimental imagery reached a wider audience beyond the market for unique canvases. The work is held in the comprehensive collection of the Museum of Modern Art.