I bet you wouldn’t believe me if I told you that Joan Miro made this painting for you.

It seems like a dream come true, but it is. Miro was quoted saying, “It’s the young people that interest me, and not the old dodos. If I go on working, it’s for the year 2000, and for the people of tomorrow.” So this painting isn’t for you specifically but it’s for our generation and that’s enough for me.

If you were just to look at the title (which translates to “People in the Night”) without seeing the painting, you would assume that this painting had more Saturn Devouring His Son vibes - something that would put your nerves on edge and make you leap onto your bed after turning off the lights so that the monsters living there don’t eat you. But upon seeing it you will find that it’s more reminiscent of a sweet animal sidekick in an animated Disney film than a tinkle-inducing villain. Miró was more of a dream guy than a nightmare guy. He used to hallucinate due to hunger (which is an offshoot of dreaming if you think about it) and jot down all of the shapes that he saw. This more than explains this painting, though by the time it was created he was beyond the starving artist phase of his life.