Joan Miro was fascinated with literature and the writers and poets of his day. This interest was reciprocated, resulting in 263 books, catalogs and albums illustrated by Miro.

The impact of literature on Miro was not limited to the writings of his contemporaries, but was also motivated by reading the works of a wide variety of authors, particularly those participating in the surrealist literature movement. Writers, in turn, were struck by Miro. The first reviews of his work in newspapers and journals were due in large measure to poets and writers.

Miro wanted to provoke the viewer with the poetical force of his work; he used to say that he made no distinction between painting and poetry. When Miro entered the field of literature, his mind was ready to be filled with the power of the text. His skill lay in seeking the free expression of what the text suggested to him, not in producing an “illustration” of it.

Miro was less of an “illustrator” than an artist who interpreted poetry in a different medium. A scrupulous reader of the text, he would fill himself with a poem; fall asleep with the words and rhythms and let the poetry awaken echoes and images. The resulting work, subjected to his own internal alchemy, transcends traditional “representation;” rather it strives to rejoin, accompany, interpret and illuminate.

Illustrated Works by Miro

1927 - 1940
L'Arbre Des Voyageurs, 1930

In 1929 Miro produced his first lithographs to illustrate L'Arbre Des Voyageurs by Tristan Tzara, published in 1930. This collaboration was a step towards other adventures when Tzara introduced Miro to Louis Marcoussis, the Cubist painter who had mastered the techniques of drypoint, line engraving and etching, the secrets of which he imparted to Miro. This introduction was to begin Miro's journey as master of illustration and etching.

Selected Illustrated Works by Miro, 1927 - 1940

• L'Arbre Des Voyageurs, Tristan Tzara, 1930
• Enfances, Georges Hugnet, 1933
• 23 Gravures, Anatole Jakovski, 1935
• Solidarité, Paul Eluard, 1938
• Sablier Couché, Alice Paalen, 1938
• XXe Siècle No 4, Pierre Guéguen and other authors, 1938
• Au Paradis Des Fantômes, Benjamin Péret, 1938
• Fraternity, Stephen Spender, 1939
• L'usage De La Parole No 3, Pierre Reverdy and other authors, 1940
• Le Surréalisme En 1947, André Breton and other authors, 1947
• Portfolio Number One, Nicholas Calas, 1947
• The Prints Of Joan Miró, Michel Leiris, 1947

1948 - 1959
L'Antitete. Le Desespranto, 1949

After two years of working ceramics and bronze sculpture, Miro returned to paper with his masterful illustration of Le Désespéranto, volume III of Tristan Tzara's L'Antitête. His experience with tools and techniques allowed him to take risks and go beyond the point where an artist's work traditionally ends.

Selected Works by Miro, 1948 - 1959

• Fete Des Arbres Et Du Chasseur, René Char, 1948
• Derrière Le Miroir. Joan Miró, Tristan Tzara and other authors, 1948
• Parler Seul, Tristan Tzara, 1948 - 1950
• 13 Lithographies, 1948
• Poésie de Mots Inconnus, Ronke Akinsemoyin and other authors, 1949
• L'Antitête. Le Désespéranto, Tristan Tzara, 1949
• Joan Miró, João Cabral De Melo, 1950
• Anthologie De L'Humour Noir, André Breton, 1950
• Miró. Recent Paintings, James Johnson Sweeney, 1953
• La Clé Des Champs, André Breton, 1953
• Bagatelles Végétales, Michel Leiris, 1956
• Un Poème Dans Chaque Livre, Paul Eluard, 1956
• La Bague D'Aurore, René Cevel, 1957
• Les Brisants, Jacques Dupin, 1958
• A Toute Épreuve, Paul Eluard, 1958
• Ah! Nulle Épreuve, Pierre André Benoit, 1958
• Nous Avons, René Char, 1959
• Fusées, 1959
• Constellations, André Breton, 1959

1960 - 1982
Ubu Roi, 1966

In 1966, Miro illustrated Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry, a book which Miro doubtlessly read and discussed with his friends in the Surrealist group. The story began as a skit that was a parody of one of Jarry’s teachers. The skit went through many transformations—from a marionette play to a full stage production at the Theatre de l’Oeuvre. Considered to be one of the first works in the theatre of the absurd, the play, at its debut in 1896, ruffled feathers with its opening one-liner. Ubu, the main character, was portrayed as a vulgar, dishonest and cruel being.

Le Lezard aux Plumes d'or, 1971

This was a book in which lithography was used for both the illustrations as well as the text-a poem written by Miro and illustrated in his own handwriting. Poetry was at times was an integral and inseparable part of Miro's work. In addition to illustrating works of popular poets, he succeeded in writing Surrealist poetic texts himself. The text for Le Lezard aux Plumes d'or II was initially published in

Selected Illustrated Works by Miro, 1960 - 1982

This period was a time of great diversity for Miro. He produced the most numerous and varied book illustrations, worked in large format and with many authors. While this period was marked by large format paintings and ceramic murals, Miro did not abandon smaller paintings. And while he gravitated to large format books, he also continued to illustrate smaller ones.

This publication of a volume of work solidified Miro's relationship with publishers with whom he had worked over the years, including Pierre Matisse, Louis Broder, Maeght, PAB, GLM, Gérald Cramer and many others. They were joined by publishers from Barcelona who respected and admired Miro's work, including Sala Gaspar, Gustau Gili, La Polígrafa, and Maeght-Barcelona.

• Un Jor Entier, René Char and other authors, 1960
• Là, Pierre Andre Benoit, 1960
• Poemes Civils, Joan Brossa, 1961
• Cop De Poma, Joan Brossa, 1962
• Obscur Laurier, Maryse Lafont, 1962
• Tracé Sur L'Eau, 1963
• Flux De L'Aimant, René Char, 1964
• Ubu Roi, Alfred Jarry, 1966
• Hommage A Rober Lacourière, Ilia Sdanevitch (Iliazd) and Pablo Picasso
• Fissures, Michel Leiris, 1969
• La Bague D'Aurore, René Crevel, 1967
• Le Lézard Aux Plumes D'Or, Joan Miró, 1971
• Ubu Aux Baléares, Joan Miró, 1971
• Gerald Cramer. Trente Ans D'Activité, Arnold Kohler, 1971
• El Sobreviviente Visita Los Pajaros, Pablo Neruda, 1972
• El Vol De L'Alosa, Pere Serra and other authors, 1973
• Série Mallorca, 1973
• Hommage À Tériade, Michel Anthonioz and other authors, 1973
• Hommage À Picasso, Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, 1973
• L'Issue Dérobée, Jacques Dupin, 1974
• Le Courtisan Grotesque, Adrian de Monluc dit Comte de Cramail, 1974
• Les Pénalites De L'Enfer Ou Les Nouvelles-Hébrides, Robert Desnos, 1974
• Lettre Dite Du Voyant, Arthur Rimbaud, 1974
• Pour 1971, Pierre André Benoit, 1975
• Quatre Colors Aparien El Món…, J.V. Foix, 1975
• Càntic Del Sol, Fancesc d'Assis, 1975
• L'Enfance D'Ubu, Joan Miró, 1975
• San Lazzaro Et Ses Amis, Yvon Taillandier and other authors, 1975
• Chanson Des Contraires, Jordi del Sant Jordi, 1976
• Poemas Para Mirar, Carlos Franqui, 1976
• Hommage A San Lazzaro, Alain Jouffroy, 1977
• Album 21, Carlos Franqui, 1978
• Lapidari, Anonymous Catalan Authors, 1981
• Cartalégraphie, Pierre André Benoit, 1985