Christie’s raises €50,000 at ‘Joan Miró & Refugees’ charity auction

London (CNA).- The charity auction ‘Joan Miró & the Refugees’ has raised 50,000 euros for the Red Cross, hosted by Christie’s Auction House in London this Thursday. The collection on auction was made up of 24 of Miró’s graphic works, donated by the artist’s grandson, Joan Miró Punyet. The proceeds made will go entirely to the Red Cross organisation and to the “attention and acceptance of the refugee population that is amassing in Eastern Europe”, stated Red Cross Vice Chairman Rosa Maria Marco. One of the notable features of the collection (which was, however, only on display and not up for auction) was the piece ‘Thank You’, created in 1974 as a gesture of gratitude towards the charitable organisation. The artist’s connection to the Red Cross goes even deeper: the 1968 piece ‘Tapestry of Tarragona’ pays tribute to the Red Cross doctor who saved Miró’s only daughter’s life. Miró was also the first to donate and encourage the creation of the Art Collection Fund of the Catalan Red Cross. The ‘Joan Miró & Refugees’ exhibition was organised with the help of the Mayoral Gallery, which represents the most important artists of post-war modern art in Barcelona.

The collection of 24 of Miró’s graphic works was donated by the grandson of the artist, Joan Miró Punyet, and the 50,000 euros raised will go entirely to care and reception of those refugees who come through the Red Cross. “We maintain a commitment of solidarity with the Red Cross and with the democracy that Miró felt” stated the director of the gallery, Jorge Mayoral. The collection had been on display for several months in different art spaces in Catalonia before arriving in London.

The work 'Le Fantôme de l’atelier’ (‘The Phantom of the workshop’) was the piece auctioned for the highest amount. The print, created in 1987, sold for 6,809 euros. The colour lithography ‘Paysanne aux Oiseaux’ (‘Peasant with Birds’) managed to raise 5,674 euros. “We are very pleased to announce that the proceeds will go to help refugees”, said Mayoral, who wanted to “deeply thank” Joan Punyet Miró, grandson of the artist, for “his cooperation in this artistic project of solidarity”. For their part, the Red Cross also voiced their gratitude, with Red Cross Vice Chairman Rosa Maria Marco declaring that it gave her “great satisfaction” to present the collection.

The history of Miró and the Red Cross

The large drawing ‘Thank you’, which combines the ‘gouache’ technique and collage on paper, was one of the main attractions of the project. The work was not auctioned but was shown in photo at Christie’s in the South Kensington neighbourhood.

Created in 1974, Joan Miró’s ‘Thank you’ was a gesture of gratitude towards the Red Cross, but it was not the first. In September 1968, the artist made a drawing, a kind of preliminary sketch, in which he detailed the different elements that make up the painting ‘Tapestry of Tarragona’: this large-scale tapestry was the beginning of a journey shared by Joan Miró and the Art Collection Fund of the Red Cross. Indeed, the drawing was a gesture that showed the master’s gratitude towards a young doctor, Rafael Orozco of the Red Cross Hospital in Tarragona. When the artist’s only daughter, Maria Dolors Miró, was hit by a train while driving her car, against all odds Orozco saved her life. Miró was also the first to donate and encourage the creation of the Art Collection Fund of the Catalan Red Cross.

Mayoral Gallery: From Barcelona to the world

The Mayoral Art Gallery represents the most important artists of post-war modern art in Barcelona, such as Miró, Dalí, Picasso, Chillida, Tàpies, Ponç, Brossa, Tharrats and Cuixart, among others. The gallery operates worldwide through prestigious international trade fairs like ‘Masterpiece’ and ‘PAD’ in London, ‘The Armory Show’ in New York, ‘Zona MACO’ in Mexico and ‘SP – Arte’ in São Paulo. Mayoral is one of the most important galleries in terms of Miró's work and helps circulation, knowledge and appreciation of his work on the market.