Canticle of the Sun
Joan Miró
Canticle of the Sun is one of Joan Miró’s most spiritual and mature creations. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, this edition has been produced in collaboration with the Successió Miró of Palma, bringing together 33 engravings that engage in dialogue with one of the oldest and most universal poetic texts in Western culture.
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Published in 1975, when Miró was 82 years old, the series is inspired by Canticle of the Creatures by Saint Francis of Assisi. In this work, the artist transforms the medieval poem into a visual universe of his own, using essential colors—red, blue, yellow, and green—and refined forms to express harmony between earth, sky, and the natural elements.
The sun, the moon, the stars, wind, water, fire, and earth become the protagonists of a symbolic narrative that invites contemplation of the natural world from its most essential aspects.
Canticle of the Sun is presented in a case conceived as an extension of the original work, recreating one of the engravings from the series in volume and housing the two books of this exclusive edition inside. The Art Book faithfully reproduces the 33 original engravings, even preserving the imperfections inherent to the printmaking process, while the Study Book offers a contextual and analytical reading of the work and of Miró’s career through texts by renowned specialists.
The careful artisanal production process and the fidelity to the preserved original plates make Canticle of the Sun an exceptional edition, limited and numbered to 2,998 copies. A piece that not only pays tribute to Joan Miró’s legacy, but also invites a rediscovery—through emotion and contemplation—of the essential beauty of nature.
PRODUCTION PROCESS
Providing depth and richness, the 33 engravings have been printed at 75% of the original size on high-quality paper. Two are die-cut, and sixteen feature embossed and blind stamping.
Each of the 33 plates includes, on the reverse, the numbering and the copyright of the Successió Miró of Palma. The plates are manually attached to the volume using three adhesive points.
The covers of the Art Book were produced based on the preserved original plates of engravings numbers 10 and 4 from the series, which were originally conceived for use in the etching technique.
Both covers incorporate three attached metal pieces—two on the front cover and one on the back—made of 0.5 mm aluminum, laser-cut, and finished with priming, digital printing, and textured matte varnish.
The binding of the Art Book begins with the addition of a spine protector, continues with black endpapers, and concludes with the hand-sewn binding of its 96 pages using cotton thread.
The 0.8 mm rounded-corner covers are attached to the page block. The front cover reproduces engraving number 10 from the series, a plate in which the four basic colors—blue, red, yellow, and green—are clearly distinguished.
The Study Book features Miró’s signature stamped in white on the cover, along with the logo. The volume is hand-bound, joining the blue cloth-covered boards to the book block.
The case that houses the work is composed of two lacquered MDF sections in cream and gradient blue. All components are assembled by hand, and the interior is lined with soft felt.
The image of the case recreates, in volume, engraving number 20 from the Canticle of the Sun series. Inside, it stores, preserves, and protects the two volumes of the work and the full essence of Miró.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
CASE
- Lacquered MDF case, two-piece format. Upper lid lacquered in cream with blue drops printed in inkjet using textured UV inks. Lower base lacquered in textured blue with a front gradient and Miró’s signature printed in inkjet with UV inks
- Interior nest lined with 3 mm soft felt
- Dimensions: 56.5 × 11 × 40 cm (length × width × height)
- Weight: 8.75 kg
- Approximate total weight of the work: 15.5 kg.
ART BOOK
- Bilingual edition: Spanish and English
- 96 pages on Tintoretto Gesso 200 g paper, bulk 1.4 (Fedrigoni). Endpapers in black Wibalin board, 300 g
- Front and back covers reproduce engravings numbers 10 and 4 used for the etching technique; the back cover features a barred plate. Includes three attached loose stainless-steel pieces (0.5 mm), mechanically polished on one side, laser-cut, with rounded corners
- 33 engravings—etchings and aquatints (2 die-cut, 16 with embossed and blind stamping). Printed 4/0 on Old Mill 160 g paper, reproduced at 75%. Glued to the book with three adhesive points. Plate format: 38.5 × 27.3 cm
- Page block size: 47.3 × 35.5 cm (landscape)
- Weight: 4.40 kg.
STUDY BOOK
- Monolingual edition (two versions: Spanish or English)
- 224 pages, 4/4 + varnish, on Symbol Tatami White 150 g paper. Endpapers in black Geltex LS 191, 180 g
- Cloth-bound cover (Pantone 286) with white foil stamping of Miró’s signature and ARTIKA BOOKS logo
- Dimensions: 28.5 × 35.5 cm. Spine width: 3.4 cm
- Weight: 2.35 kg.
