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Lot Essay
Executed on 14 August 1935, Étoile-filante et têtes belongs to a remarkable series of gouaches that Miró produced over the summer of that year. Each work presents a near-abstract constellation of floating forms set against textured washes, imbued with a poetic lyricism and compositional harmony characteristic of this period. The delicate interplay of softly graded color and whimsical, interlocking lines lends the work a serenely enigmatic quality.
In contrast to many of Miró’s contemporaneous drawings—often populated by figures with exaggerated features and grotesque expressions—Étoile-filante et têtes is composed entirely of abstract shapes. Yet, these forms still evoke echoes of the natural and human world: a lower figure with a mischievous eye and a playful mouth, a geometric form resembling a shooting star hovering to its left. The background bursts with chromatic vitality, as if the picture plane itself were on the verge of dissolution. Still, Miró’s impeccable sense of balance reins in this energy, transforming potential chaos into lyrical order. The resulting composition suggests a character poised between mischief and restraint—an embodiment of controlled exuberance, tinged with gentle pathos.
Though troubled by the growing political tensions in Europe, Miró was, at the time of Étoile-filante et têtes, experiencing expanding recognition and success across the continent and in the United States. His works featured in solo and group exhibitions in New York, San Francisco, and Paris, while his financial security was bolstered by his collaboration with the New York dealer Pierre Matisse. Matisse—who became the first owner of Étoile-filante et têtes—had met Miró in 1930 and began representing him two years later. Their relationship quickly grew into one of profound mutual respect and friendship. Beyond providing crucial financial stability, Matisse offered steadfast support and companionship, remaining one of the most important figures in Miró’s life until the artist’s death in 1983.
In contrast to many of Miró’s contemporaneous drawings—often populated by figures with exaggerated features and grotesque expressions—Étoile-filante et têtes is composed entirely of abstract shapes. Yet, these forms still evoke echoes of the natural and human world: a lower figure with a mischievous eye and a playful mouth, a geometric form resembling a shooting star hovering to its left. The background bursts with chromatic vitality, as if the picture plane itself were on the verge of dissolution. Still, Miró’s impeccable sense of balance reins in this energy, transforming potential chaos into lyrical order. The resulting composition suggests a character poised between mischief and restraint—an embodiment of controlled exuberance, tinged with gentle pathos.
Though troubled by the growing political tensions in Europe, Miró was, at the time of Étoile-filante et têtes, experiencing expanding recognition and success across the continent and in the United States. His works featured in solo and group exhibitions in New York, San Francisco, and Paris, while his financial security was bolstered by his collaboration with the New York dealer Pierre Matisse. Matisse—who became the first owner of Étoile-filante et têtes—had met Miró in 1930 and began representing him two years later. Their relationship quickly grew into one of profound mutual respect and friendship. Beyond providing crucial financial stability, Matisse offered steadfast support and companionship, remaining one of the most important figures in Miró’s life until the artist’s death in 1983.