“The Ear of Grain” is a compelling artwork by the renowned artist Joan Miró, created in the period of 1922-1923. This piece is an oil on canvas painting and falls within the dimensions of 37.8 by 46 centimeters. It combines elements of Cubism and Surrealism, two significant art movements of the 20th century. The genre of the artwork is still life, and it currently resides at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) located in New York City, NY, United States.
The artwork portrays a composition that is characteristic of Miró’s transition between Cubism and the early stages of his Surrealist expressions. It presents a table top on which rest a few objects: a dark-toned coffee pot, exquisitely detailed for a still life, with noticeable highlights indicating the presence of a light source. To the pot’s right, a magnifying glass with an ornately twisted handle creates an interesting visual contrast through its circular form and the distorted reflections it may imply. Dominating the lower portion of the canvas, an ear of grain extends diagonally across the surface, its fine details meticulously rendered to emphasize both its texture and form. The subdued color palette and the precise delineation of the objects reveal Miró’s dedication to exploring the boundaries between the real and the imagined, a pursuit that would become more pronounced in his later Surrealist works.
The artwork may convey a sense of stillness in time, capturing the essence of the objects with a meticulousness that allows viewers to ponder the relationship between the mundane and the imaginative realms that Miró masterfully intertwines.
