Study for Dutch Interior (I) is a crucial preparatory drawing created by Joan Miró in 1928. This work, executed in pencil on graph paper, demonstrates the highly analytical and structured approach the Spanish artist utilized during a pivotal period of transition in his Surrealist career. The choice of graph paper itself is significant, providing a measured, almost architectural foundation that underlies the later, seemingly spontaneous application of paint in the final oil version.
The studies for the Dutch Interior series mark Miró’s focused engagement with historical sources, specifically 17th-century Dutch genre painting. The series was directly inspired by a postcard depicting The Lute Player (1661) by Hendrick Martenszoon Sorgh, which Miró encountered while traveling. Rather than copying the source directly, Miró translated the complex Baroque compositions, figures, and domestic objects into his distinct, biomorphic vocabulary.
In this particular drawing, the dense pencil lines and the rigid structure imposed by the graph paper reveal the systematic deconstruction of space and figuration. Miró transforms familiar domestic elements and human figures into abstracted, floating forms. The precision inherent in the drawing technique contrasts sharply with the often chaotic or dreamlike imagery, highlighting the intellectual rigor applied to these Surrealist experiments.
The resulting sequence of Dutch Interior works, meticulously planned through preliminary drawings like this 1928 piece, represents a defining moment in Miró's evolution. This drawing provides valuable insight into the artist’s methodology as he moved away from earlier realism and solidified his commitment to pure pictorial invention. Though a preparatory work, this important Spanish drawing possesses a distinct energy and clarity, revealing the essential structural framework necessary for the ambitious finished oil painting. It is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, where it serves as a vital document of the artist's creative process.
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