Polyphemus,

1968

In Greek mythology, Polyphemus is a giant, a son of Poseidon, and one of the cyclopses described in the Odyssey. The vivid episode of Polyphemus’s blinding was a favorite theme of ancient Greek painted pottery. In this print, Miró tapped into the story’s drama, circling the character’s singular eye with a vibrant ring of green and allowing this target to dominate the composition. In 1921, Miró relocated from his native Catalonia to Paris, where his exposure to the ideas of André Breton’s Surrealist circle transformed his style, giving rise to his signature language of biomorphic forms, geometric shapes, and semi-abstracted objects. Miro’s art never became fully non-objective; rather, the artist devoted his career to exploring various means by which to dismantle traditional systems of perception and representation. In 1925, Miró participated in the first Surrealist exhibition, and the following year he collaborated with Max Ernst, whose work is nearby, on the stage settings for an avant-garde ballet.