Barcelona Fundación Joan Miró

Josep Lluís Sert, who spent the years of the Franco dictatorship as Dean of the School of Design at Harvard University, designed one of the greatest museum buildings in the world on his return. Approachable, light and airy, these white walls and arches house a collection of more than 225 paintings, 150 sculptures and all of Miró's graphic work, plus some 5,000 drawings, all housed in the Fundación Joan Miró.


The permanent collection of the Fundación Joan Miró, highlighting Miró's trademark use of primary colours and simplified organic forms symbolising stars, the moon, birds and women, occupies the second half of the space. On the way to the sculpture gallery is Alexander Calder's rebuilt Mercury Fountain, originally seen at the Spanish Republic's Pavilion at the 1937 Paris Fair. In other works, Miró is shown as a cubist (Street in Pedralbes, 1917), naive (Portrait of a Young Girl, 1919) and surrealist (Man and Woman in Front of a Pile of Excrement, 1935). In the upper galleries, large, black-outlined paintings from Miró's final period precede a room of works with political themes.

Temporary shows of the Fundación Joan Miró have improved significantly, providing an often humorous contrast to Míro.  Exhibitions at the foundation include American Modernity: Works from the Corcoran Gallery and Kiki Smith: Her Memory. The Espai 13 in the basement features young contemporary artists (€2.50). Outside is a small sculpture garden with work by contemporary Catalan artists.

Address

Parc de Montjuïc s/n
Area Montjuic & Poble Sec
Transport Metro Paral·lel then Funicular de Montjuïc/61 bus .
Telephone 93 443 94 70
Open July-Sept 10am-8pm Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat; 10am-9.30pm Thur; 10am-2.30pm Sun. Oct-June 10am-7pm Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat; 10am-9.30pm Thur; 10am-2.30pm Sun.
Admission All exhibitions €8; €6 reductions. Temporary exhibitions €4; €3 reductions free under-14s.