Among the great graphic portfolios of the 20th century, Joan Miró's Lithographe II occupies a singular place. Published in 1975 by Aimé Maeght — the legendary Parisian gallerist who championed Miró, Giacometti, and Calder — and catalogued by master printer Fernand Mourlot, this portfolio of twelve original lithographs represents the artist at the height of his graphic powers.
The Making of a Masterwork
Fernand Mourlot's name is inseparable from the history of 20th-century printmaking. His Paris atelier was the crucible in which Picasso discovered lithography, where Matisse refined his late graphic style, and where Miró developed one of the most distinctive print vocabularies in modern art. Lithographe II was the product of this deep, decades-long collaboration — a meticulous catalogue raisonné that documented Miró's lithographic output with scholarly precision.
Each plate in the portfolio was printed under Miró's direct supervision, ensuring that the saturated colors, precise registration, and tactile quality of the paper met his exacting standards. These are not reproductions. They are original works of art in their own right.
Miró's Visual Language
To encounter a Miró lithograph is to enter a world governed by its own internal logic — one where biomorphic forms float freely against fields of primary color, where a single sinuous line can suggest both a figure and a constellation, and where the boundary between the playful and the profound dissolves entirely.
The plates in Lithographe II showcase this range in full. Some compositions are spare and meditative; others burst with chromatic energy. Together they form a kind of visual autobiography — a record of a mind that never stopped questioning, never stopped playing, never stopped seeing the world as a place of inexhaustible wonder.
Why Collectors Value This Portfolio
For collectors entering the world of modern master prints, the Lithographe II series offers a compelling combination of factors:
- Provenance: Published by Maeght, catalogued by Mourlot — two of the most trusted names in 20th-century art publishing
- Accessibility: Original Miró lithographs at a fraction of the cost of his paintings or unique works on paper
- Condition: The works available at The Art Howse are in mint to excellent condition, with fresh, vibrant colors
- Historical significance: Part of a definitive catalogue raisonné that scholars and institutions rely upon
- Aesthetic range: Twelve distinct compositions offering genuine choice for different tastes and spaces
Acquiring a Miró Lithograph
The complete Lithographe II series is available now at The Art Howse. Each work is presented individually, allowing collectors to acquire a single plate or build a curated grouping. Whether displayed as a standalone statement piece or as part of a broader collection of modern master prints, these lithographs bring the full force of Miró's vision into any space.