The 1930s were marked by the appearance of totalitarian movements and by growing political tension. It was also a period of strong dehumanization, allowing artists to depict men and women as grotesque and deformed monstrous figures.

Who are these “arrogants” that Miró assembled on a piece of paper in 1934? One of them seems to be a woman whose arms are dancing with wave-like movements. The other two are shapeless creatures with tiny heads, very thin and very thick arms, and heavy legs stripped of grace and agility. One of them is holding a sharp object. They do not interact. Instead, they seem to ignore one another. The female figure seems to be the only one who turns her gaze toward the viewer in a somewhat defiant attitude.

This drawing is linked to later works by Miró such as Man and Woman in Front of a Pile of Excrement (1935) and Seated Personnages (1936) that express anguish in the face of the future. It is also related to the series of etchings entitled Barcelona which he started in 1939 that reflect on the desolation and pain that derived from the Spanish Civil War.