Miro - Figure, 1932

Miro's oil painting, Figure, is a fairly abstract geometric work that contrasts simple, straight lines with more irregular, organic shapes. The majority of the work is clearly dominated by vertical lines, yet Miro has prevented what would be a quite static layout by slightly curving some of these lines, adding color blocks, and inserting a few diagonal/horizontal elements to create a sense of three-dimensional space within the work.
The figure's curved, organic outline contrasts with this rigid geometric background while at the same time creating another implied vertical element. The focus of this painting, to me, is not actually the figure itself but its shadow because it stands out so much more than the figure does. The shadow extends both vertically and horizontally and is far more organic than any other element in the image. My eye is drawn to the shadow because of its lack of unity with the rest of the image.