BRONZE
90 X 80 ½ X 57 ¾ INCHES
COURTESY OF THE RAYMOND AND PATSY NASHER COLLECTION
NASHER SCULPTURE CENTER, DALLAS, TX
Miró began making small bronze sculptures in 1944, but his interest in sculpture originated much earlier, when he was just nineteen and studying at the Escola d’Art in Barcelona. One of his teachers would blindfold him and ask him to draw objects solely through his sense of touch.
The sculpture Moonbird was initially created in 1945. He crafted the original by hand, without any preliminary drawings, instead making a small clay maquette as a tentative model. The lunar-shaped face of Moonbird shares stylistic and thematic similarities with Miró’s other works inspired by celestial themes. In 1966, Miró reinterpreted this sculpture, casting it as a large bronze piece. It represents one of many imaginary beings he envisioned, blending elements of earth and sky. Throughout his work, motifs such as crescent moons, the sun, and stars recur frequently, emphasizing his fascination with cosmic themes.
