Joan Miró
Grande Maternite, 1967
Cast bronze
Museum Purchase and Gift of George and Virginia Ablah and Pierre Matisse Gallery
“What really counts is to strip the soul naked. Painting or poetry is made as we make love; a total embrace, prudence thrown to the wind, nothing held back.” Miró
“As a matter of fact, I am attaching more and more importance to the subject matter of my work. To me it seems vital that a rich and robust theme should be present to give the spectator an immediate blow between the eyes before a second thought can interpose.” Miró
If Surrealist artist Joan Miró wanted emotion and a theme that struck an immediate blow to viewers, maternity was a fine choice. Mothers and motherhood elicit intense feelings in most people, and have been the subject of innumerable artworks. However, Miró’s Grande Maternité diverges wildly from a typical conception of the subject. He simplifies the fecund body of the mother into a slender neck and head and a voluminous, bell-shaped body. An organic, almond-shaped opening dominates the center of the figure, suggestive of both the womb inside and the female genitalia. The only other bodily features present in a frontal view are two round volumes, perhaps breasts, and two spur-like forms that may suggest upraised arms.