Retrat d’una vaileta, Joan Miró, 1919, oil on paper on canvas, 35× 27 cm, Joan Miró Foundation, Barcelona. Donation from Joan Prats.
In the summer of 1918, after the failure of his exhibition at the Galeries Dalmau, Miró decided to signal a change of style in his painting. He then made a series of landscapes trying to capture the smallest details. Retrat d’una vaileta shows this detail.
This painting reconciles two influences. One is Oriental art, which he is surely familiar with from Japanese prints, which were very popular at that time and are noticeable in both the refinement of the drawing and the skilful simplification of the naturalistic approach. The other comes from the Romanesque frescoes that inspire serenity of composition and a sense of timelessness, the result of a deep but impersonal look at the girl and the directness, severity and effectiveness of a highly restricted palette.
