Joan Miró (Barcelona, 1893 - Palma, Mallorca, 1983)  “Parler Seul”. Tristan Tzara. Artist's book with seventy-two lithographs by Joan Miró and an original collage and poem by Tristan Tzara. Copy numbered 112 of 250. Signed in pencil by Miró and Tzara in the justification of the print run. Made from Malacca chiffon paper. Published by Maeght Éditeur. Paris. 1948/1950. Mourlt Frères Printer. 30 x 39 cm. In its original case.   Several museums have copies of the same book we are presenting among their collections. These include The MOMA of New York (939.1964.1-73); the Reina Sofía Museum, with copy numbered 148/250 (DE00397); the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (2000.200.54.1-72) and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam (KBA 567).   This last museum makes an interesting contribution in its description of the piece we are presenting, which we quote below: 'Joan Miró made no distinction between visual art and literature. He did not illustrate books as such, but instead created a free interpretation of the text, with the typography ensuring the correct proportions and rhythm between image and text. In this book of 72 lithographs, Miró gave expression to the subconscious, mainly using primary colours and organic forms. He did not take a figurative approach, but instead employed forms related to signs and symbols from the subconscious, which was perfectly in line with the work of surrealists such as Tristan Tzara, with whom Miró had been working since 1930. The text was written in 1945, while the lithographs were printed between 1948 and 1950. In 1950, the book was finally brought out by Aimé Maeght, the Parisian art dealer and publisher who created such excellent working conditions for his artists, including collaborations with master printer Mourlot.'   While searching for information to catalog this wonderful book, we came across the website tristantzaraydada.org. Due to its interest, we reproduce below a text by its author, Manuel Puertas: ' In the summer of 1945, an exhausted Tzara was invited by the director to stay at the Saint-Alban psychiatric hospital, the same place where Paul Eluard had recently spent some time and written two poems inspired by the surroundings. There, Tzara wrote this book, which was published in 1950 with 72 lithographs by Joan Miró in a luxury box set. This coincidence is very interesting for analyzing the different points of view (surrealist and Dadaist) on the same source of inspiration. While Éluard composes a picture seen from the outside, expressing all his humanity and understanding towards the sick, Tzara, from a multiple perspective, breaks the bonds and internalizes the feelings of the alienated, speaking in their place, hence the title of the book, Speaking Alone. Note the personal dedications in some parts of the poem Las palabras de paja (Words of Straw). The collaboration with Miró, commissioned by the publisher Maeght, gave rise to this legendary and extraordinarily beautiful edition, which, due to its meticulous dedication, took the painter almost two years to complete.   Reference bibliography: - Stedelijk Museum. (n.d.). “Parler seul.” https://www.stedelijk.nl/en/collection/25724-joan-miro-parler-seul  - https://tristantzaraydada.org/unico-lenguaje-parler-seul