La Guerre D'espagne

Miró was not a deeply political artist but he made a number of politically engaged works in response to the Spanish Civil War. In 1937 he was asked to design a one franc stamp to be sold for the benefit of the Republican Government in Spain. His design featured a Catalan peasant who raises a clenched fist in a Loyalist salute. He is predominantly yellow and red, in reference to the Spanish and Catalan flags. However, although the stamp was never issued, Miró subsequently made a stencil print of the design. It was printed in two editions, one of which included an inscription stating: “In this present battle I see on the fascist side just the outdated forces, and on the other side, the people whose immense creative resources which will give Spain a power which will astonish the whole world”.

Glossary Close

Inscription

Text written on a book, document or artwork. Examples include the added information such as edition number and date on a print, or a dedication written in a book.

Print

An image pressed or stamped onto paper or fabric. This encompasses a wide variety of techniques, usually produced in multiples, although one-off prints, known as monoprints, are also included. The term is also applied to photographic images.

Spanish Civil War

A war in Spain that began following an uprising in Morocco in 1936. It was fought between the Republicans and the Nationalists, led by General Franco, who declared victory in 1939, and remained as head of state until his death in 1975. The bombing of the town of Guernica on 26 April 1937 was the subject of a major painting by Pablo Picasso.

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