<p>Joan Miró's paintings are among the most widely recognized of any modern artist,reproduced everywhere from books to T-shirts to posters. While he is most often seen as a surrealist or a postwar abstract painter, terms he rejected, this book brings new insights into Miró's work by framing it in the context of the turbulent times in which he lived.</p><p>Miró's contemporary Picasso left Spain, promising never to return under a Fascist government. In contrast, Miró chose internal exile, removing himself to the island of Mallorca, a decision that has led to him being viewed as a less political artist. This book challenges that impression by focusing on Miró's politically engaged works, from the rural, anarchist tradition and strong Catalan nationalism reflected in early paintings like <em>The Farm</em> and <em>Head of a Catalan Peasant</em> to the triptych <em>The Hope of a Condemned Man</em> (1974) through which he publicly declared his opposition to Franco.</p><p>Drawing on new scholarship from an international group of experts, the book accompanies the first exhibition in nearly half a century to show work from throughout Miró's career. It sheds new light on the life and achievements of one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.</p>