Joán Miró was a preeminent figure in the development of abstraction in the first half of the 20th century. A Catalan Spanish painter, printmaker, and ceramicist, Miró was born in Barcelona and studied art after abandoning a career in business. His first solo exhibition was held in 1918 at the gallery of art dealer, José Dalmau, and in 1920, Miró travelled to Paris where he met Pablo Picasso. There the artist became involved with Dada activities and joined the Surrealist group in 1924. In 1936, Miró left Spain during the civil war and began participating in exhibitions within the United States. His first major museum retrospective was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1941, and he received awards and grants for his murals and sculpture in the 1950s. In 1978, the Musée National d'Art Moderne in Paris exhibited a major retrospective of Miró's drawings.
