Joaquín Miró

JOAQUÍN MIRÓ ARGENTER (Sitges, Barcelona, 1849–1914).
“Man with a Pipe.”
Oil on panel.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 30 x 21 cm, 56 x 47 cm (frame).
The brother of José Miró Argenter, a hero of the Cuban War of Independence, Joaquín was a largely self-taught painter, although he began his artistic training in his hometown under the guidance of Arcadi Mas i Fondevila and Joan Roig i Soler. Francesc Fontbona, in Volume IV of his *Història de l'Art Català*, classifies Joaquim Miró’s painting within the Suburense Luminist movement—ultimately derived from Fortuny—associating his subject matter with that developed by Roig, while technically he was closer to Mas i Fondevila. He primarily painted landscapes and seascapes, set against the backdrop of the beaches and whitewashed houses of his beautiful hometown. In fact, he is highly regarded today because his works provide an accurate record of what Sitges was like in his time. He was also the first teacher of his nephew, Joaquim Sunyer, who later became the leading exponent of Catalan Noucentisme. Although his public profile was apparently quite limited, Miró Argenter exhibited his work in Barcelona and Vilanova i la Geltrú. In 1877, he collaborated with Joan Soler Casanovas on the decoration of the Casino Prado in Sitges, and he participated in the Barcelona art competitions of 1888, 1894, and 1896. His works can currently be viewed at the Cau Ferrat Museum in Sitges and at the Víctor Balaguer Library-Museum in Vilanova i la Geltrú.