The Only Magazine for Children's Art
Aug 19, 2026
It tells how the Spanish icons helped turn art books into a visual revolution.
Spanish artist Joan Miró (1893 - 1983) had a lifelong fascination with not only the folk traditions of his native Catalonia (the Northeastern region of Spain that calls Barcelona its capital), but also with the artwork of the children who called it home.
His fellow Spanish contemporaries Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973) and Salvador Dali (1904 - 1989) arguably both as well retained a measure of their childlike approach to creating art throughout their lives. Which is why this new exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, fittingly titled 'Picasso, Miró, Dalí: Unbound', is so particularly fascinating - as collectively exploring their book related endeavors revisits a context that makes their work feel decidedly more accessible and approachable. In fact, it's not difficult to imagine how it could readily encourage project ideas for kids hoping to take inspiration from these giants of 20th Century modern art.
In early 20th Century Paris, 'livres d’artiste' began to actually coalesce into something of a movement, and, as the exhibit tells us, continued on into the following decades. The concept of the illustrated book was very much taking hold, driven by how the thrillingly new notions of abstraction in art were changing the way we viewed the world around us. It only made sense that it should be captured in book form, as publishing was also on the verge of a modern revolution.
British painter, poet and spiritualist William Blake was a likely touchstone, with his innovative late 18th Century "illuminated printing" technique - and his profoundly singular visions certainly influenced the early 20th Century European avant-garde. But as this exhibit bears out, this trio of Spanish virtuosos sought to infuse their own versions of the 'livres d’artiste' with a distinct sense of the new artistic freedom that was driving their creative vitality.
Although the French term "livres d’artiste" technically translates directly to "the artist's book", what was most notable in the undertaking of these projects was the new concept of genuine collaboration between said artists and those who would see them through the design process - including typographers, printmakers, and the publishers themselves.
Also, because the book form allowed for more elaborate narratives, 'Unbound' shows us how the artists would sometimes venture into high-profile literary "partnerships": Dalí reimagining 'Paradise Lost', John Milton's biblical epic on mankind's fall from grace, here titled 'La paradis perdu: Quatrième Chant 1948-50'; and most strikingly, Miró taking Dadaist writer Tristan Tzara's 1945 poem 'Parler Suel' (translation: 'speaking alone'), and intertwining the words with his own inimitable visual representations. Again, there's a distinctly childlike quality to the result, which is pictured in the opening image of this story.
The 'Unbound' exhibit at the MFA is on view through January 24, 2027. But for those without ready access to the city of Boston, Pinterest actually has some great ideas to inspire "livres d’artiste" style projects at home with the kids.
Also, this fun, enlightening video from the Kenwood K-8 Center in Miami is a great way for children to learn more about Joan Miró's art and techniques.
