Joan Soler-Jové and Llorenç Moyà Gilabert — A Clown Speaks, illustrated poem, 20th century

What lies behind a clown's smile? What thoughts are hidden by someone who dedicates their life to provoking laughter in others?

These questions find an especially evocative answer in Parla un pallasso (“A Clown Speaks”), a poetic composition by the Mallorcan writer Llorenç Moyà Gilabert (1916–1981), accompanied by an illustration by Joan Soler-Jové (Barcelona, 1934).

The work features a unique horizontal layout: on the left, the handwritten poem in Catalan; on the right, a standing clown, constructed using the light, spontaneous, and expressive line characteristic of Soler-Jové.

The character, dressed in circus attire and large shoes, seems to remain silent while the words occupy the space around him. The text reflects on the contrast between the joy the clown offers the public and the emotional intimacy of the person performing that role. Humor and solitude, appearance and feeling, spectacle and introspection all coexist within the same composition.

The relationship between poetry and drawing also has a documented literary context. "Parla un pallasso de Soler-Jové" was published in the Catalan magazine Lluc in 1966, with literary credit given to Llorenç Moyà Gilabert. Years later, the two authors shared another creative project in I, tanmateix, pallasso..., a book of poems by Moyà published in 1978 with illustrations by Soler-Jové and a prologue by the writer Llorenç Villalonga.

The piece is thus part of an artistic dialogue between two creators linked to the Catalan culture of the second half of the 20th century: one exploring the human condition through words, and the other through drawing.

Its interest transcends circus representation. It is a reflection on the distance that can exist between a public persona and the individual, between the smile offered to others and the feelings that remain hidden.

Technical Sheet

• Draftsman: Joan Soler-Jové (Barcelona, 1934).

• Author of the poem: Llorenç Moyà Gilabert (Binissalem, 1916 – Palma, 1981).

• Title: Parla un pallasso de Soler-Jové.

• Technique: Handwritten poem and line illustration on paper.

• Dimensions: 13 × 25.5 cm.

• Chronology: Second half of the 20th century, no handwritten date.

• Literary reference: Poem published in Lluc in 1966.

• Inscriptions: Handwritten title at the top left and name of Llorenç Moyà Gilabert at the foot of the text.

• Conservation status: Paper yellowing, small spots of age, wrinkles, and traces of old adhesive fasteners on the top margin, as well as a vertical mark in the lower central area.

Workshop Note

We consider the relationship this piece establishes between literature and the visual arts to be especially interesting. Soler-Jové's clown ceases to be merely a circus character and becomes the protagonist of a reflection on identity, solitude, and the human condition.

The documentation of its literary publication in 1966 and the subsequent collaboration between Moyà and Soler-Jové provide a cultural context that distinguishes this composition from a conventional circus sketch.