"My figures underwent the same simplification as my colors. Simplified as they are, they are more human and more alive than they would be if represented in all their detail. Represented in detail, they would lose their imaginary quality, which enhances everything." —Joan Miró
Maja Negra is an enticing example of Miró’s mastery of color, shape, and form. An ambiguous dark figure emerges from the center of the composition, accented by dynamic bursts of primary colors. Miró employed four mediums – etching, aquatint, carborundum, and hand-coloring – to build a multi-layered image rich with color and texture. In the latter half of the artist’s career, Miró was drawn to the innovative carborundum printmaking technique, in which carborundum grits are adhered to a plate and then covered in ink, adding texture to the surface of the image.
