Barcelona Weekend Break

Things to see that are connected with artist Joan Miro

Joan Miro was an artist and sculptor and for those who are artistically inclined (to whatever degree), Barcelona has a number of his works and a gallery come museum dedicated to him.

His work most definitely falls into what I (as a layman) would call modern and abstract and his international popularity and reputation grow by the year.

Miro was born in Barcelona, but spent most of his life outside of the city. He did however leave a legacy of work in municipal areas within Barcelona.

Fundacio Joan Miro (Miro Museum)

The Fundacio Joan Miro is set within the city district of Montjuic and appears as an abstractly shaped collection of conjoined buildings – all in white.

This gallery holds a substantial permanent collection of Miro's work ranging from sculptures and sketches to paintings and complex tapestries. Some of these tapestries are several metres in height and width and use brightly coloured cloths and threads. Many claim that this is the most varied and complete collection of his work in the world.

Beyond Miro's own creations, the gallery also offers temporary exhibitions by other artists and artistic themes. These exhibitions are in continual change and need to be checked before any visit.

Gallery visitor information

Admission is not cheap at over 7 euros per adult. You can also take an audio tour.

The gallery is within walking distance of the city centre, but since it sits at the top of a hill most visitors choose to take a short bus trip.

Joan Miro's art on the street

In addition to the gallery described above, you can also see mosaics and sculptures by Miro in the city.

The best place to "freely" see Miro's work is in the Parc Joan Miro. This urban park lies close to the Plaza de Espana and spreads across an area of approximately four city blocks. The largest and best known of his “park” pieces is the Dona i Ocell (woman and bird), which is a large multi-coloured abstract sculpture of more than twenty metres in height. This sculpture is also poignant as it was one of the last pieces that Miro created.

A further and more horizontal example of Miro can be found roughly in the middle of the las Ramblas (main street in Barcelona). This time the exhibit is a large mosaic that uses simple shapes and plenty of colour. It is a typical representation of what the artist did and it adds even more life to an already active and lively area.