LONDON.- For this year's Frieze Masters, Shapero will be staging a special exhibition of prints and Livres d'Artistes by some of the most respected Émigré Artists, combining the best on offer at Shapero Modern and Shapero Rare Books. There will be a corresponding exhibition in Shapero Modern's gallery on New Bond Street, which will also include prints at lower price points in the newly opened print shop area.

Frieze Masters (15 to 19 October 2025) in Regent's Park will see monumental works by Joan Miró next to an outstanding selection of finely bound artist's books by Miró and other Émigré Artists like Picasso.

Among them is Miró's first artist's book, one of only 20 copies on Japon, Il était une petite pie [There was a Little Magpie] from 1928 and bound by Miguet at a later stage. Written by Lise Deharme, nee Hirtz, who is widely known for being a Surrealist muse after André Breton referred to her as ‘La Dame au Gant’ [The Lady with the Glove] in his book Nadja. She was also photographed by Man Ray and hosted salons popular with the leading artists and writers of the time such as Joyce and Picasso. Although her legacy mainly remains in the shadow of the prominent male members of the Surrealist movement, she was not merely a hostess but a prominent writer and editor of the magazine, Le Phare de Neuilly. This copy is signed by both the artist and author and later bound by Colette and Jean-Paul Miguet, who were active between 1951 and 1981. They were among the most prolific designer bookbinders of the second half of the twentieth century.

Created in 1977, the monumental print, Gargantua, was created by Miró in collaboration with printmaker Robert Dutrou, using Henri Goetz’s innovative carborundum printmaking technique. The image draws inspiration from the 16th century pentalogy by François Rabelais, which humorously chronicles the adventures of the two giants, Gargantua and his son Pantagruel. The composition features a dynamic interplay of floating visual elements, layered to create a sense of depth and movement. Though abstracted in Miró’s signature style, the giant’s colourful eyes emerge distinctly. Dominated by broad, black forms, the image overwhelms the viewer with the enormity of its forms. The print’s dynamic composition, combined with the artist’s use of vibrant reds, blues, and yellows, merges literary reference with artistic style to bring this legendary figure to life. It's numbered 25 from the edition of 50.

Tabitha Philpott-Kent, Director Shapero Modern, says: "We are in the unique position to be able to display some of the finest works by Miró at this year's Frieze Masters. Shapero Modern is always aiming to get the finest prints in the market by Miró and our colleagues in Rare Books are always on the look out for Livres d'Artistes by the artist, making this a scarce opportunity to see some highlights from his oeuvre in one place."

A fine example of the complete portfolio of Hommage à San Lazzaro with eight plates (two more than the regular edition), all signed and numbered by Miró and in the original printed vellum wrappers from 1977, is another highlight. It is one of only 15 copies with the two extra plates. Gualtieri di San Lazzaro was an Italian writer and art publisher. For the majority of his life, he resided in Paris where he published monographs focusing on the work of contemporary French and Italian artists. He was the founder of the periodical XXe Siècle.

Two works from 1974 include the Le Pitre Rose, ‘The Pink Clown’, an etching with aquatint in colours, numbered 48 from the edition of 50. And 'La Femme Arborescente', which is part of a series of 60 that Miró made between 1974 and 1975 using a combination of etching and aquatint. This is numbered 43 from the edition of 50.

There will also be an incredibly fresh copy of Miró’s impressive and large-scale work, Passage de l’Egyptienne. The complete portfolio is preserved in the original illustrated wrappers and publisher’s box of 13 etchings, five of which are signed and only 90 copies were printed. Published in 1985, it was written by André Pieyre de Mandiargues, who was a prominent French writer born in Paris in 1909, who retreated to Monaco during the war and returned to Paris in 1947 where, after meeting André Breton, he became involved in the activities of the Surrealists.

A wonderful example of an homage to the Parisian printer and publisher Roger Lacourière will also be available at Frieze. It contains original etchings by thirteen artists who collaborated with him in his Montmartre atelier. Picasso not only contributed an etching but also a poem titled Aux quatre coins de la pièce which he had engraved on a copper plate. The original plate was lost and there was only one known impression. This is a first edition from 1968 and one of 50 copies on Japon, signed by Iliazd and by nine of the artists, including Miró, Picasso, Ernst and Giacometti.