Study for Dutch Interior (I)

Study for Dutch Interior (I) is a preparatory drawing created by Joan Miró in 1928. Executed using pencil and ink on paper, this essential study was developed in anticipation of the first major canvas in his celebrated Dutch Interior series. This period marked a critical shift for the Spanish artist, who, while based in Paris, was actively translating the traditions of 17th-century genre painting into the visual language of Surrealism.

The composition reveals Miró’s rigorous conceptual process. Instead of working from life, he chose to distort and reinterpret historical source material, notably reproductive images of Dutch masters like Jan Steen. The drawing captures the fundamental structure and energetic movement that would define the completed painting. Miró reduced the realistic, cluttered domestic setting into a dynamic interplay of abstract, curvilinear, and biomorphic forms. The use of simple pencil and ink allows the viewer to focus on the expressive power of the line, transforming the original scene’s figures and furniture into playful, almost cartoon-like elements.

This piece demonstrates the intellectual framework of Miró’s work during this highly productive phase in 1928. The fluid ink outlines capture the chaotic, abstracted energy of the final composition, underscoring the artist’s interest in psychic automatism and spontaneous creation. As a significant document of modernist technique, the drawing is invaluable for tracing the development of the finished oil painting, which remains one of the artist's most recognized works.

This pivotal drawing resides within the esteemed collection of the Museum of Modern Art. As a major reference piece, Study for Dutch Interior (I) is frequently reproduced, and high-quality prints are made available for study. While the original is carefully preserved, the conceptual processes exemplified in this work are crucial for modern art history, ensuring that insights into Miró’s method are readily available within the wider public domain for academic research and comparison.