O ne fateful day in 1946, Picasso visited an exhibition of local crafts in the Côte d'Azur, where he met Vallauris-based ceramicist Suzanne Ramié. Head of the family-run Madoura pottery, Ramié invited the artist to her nearby atelier that very afternoon. The ever-curious Picasso immediately set to work experimenting in clay, producing two bulls and a petite faun’s head on the spot. He eagerly returned to the workshop in 1947, where he was to spend the next 25 years creating an astounding 633 different ceramic editions.
Techniques for the Minimalist and Maximalist
Picasso’s two preferred techniques were used to execute his editions: replication by hand, and replication by hand-made dry mould. The editioned ceramics produced by his hand-shaped moulds are tellingly stamped ‘Empreinte Originale de Picasso’. Each type was further incised, glazed, and/or painted, rendering forms that are admired by both the Minimalist and Maximalist.
A updated nod to classic blue and white porcelain, glossily glazed and painted forms such as Colombe Brillante (Lot 39) might appeal to the antiques connoisseur looking to add a dash of modernism to their collection of china. On the other hand, Picasso’s vibrant, textural incised and painted vessels, such as the sunny Visage de femme (Lot 29), offer a pop of colour best suited to sleek white interiors.
Forms for the Classicist and Modernist
Inspired by the long history of ceramic art, Picasso reinvented traditional forms, updating them with his own anthropomorphic and zoomorphic designs. Classicists and Modernists alike can appreciate his take on ancient pottery.
The Service visage noir (Lot 6), for instance, appears to be Picasso’s playful re-interpretation of Greek black-figure ceramics.
Style & Motif
Turning to pottery later in life, Picasso revisited the motifs and subjects he originally explored throughout his venerable career as a painter-printmaker. Admirers of Picasso’s early, academic work might appreciate his reductive silhouettes on smooth surfaces, such as the elegant Profil de Jacqueline (Lot 89), while Cubist enthusiasts might enjoy his cheerful Visage (Lot 108).
Picasso Ceramics: Colours of the Côte d'Azur offers unique access to the explorations and experiments of Picasso the ceramist. Surveying his late career, the sale offers something for every collector across every category, emphasizing Picasso’s boundless talent. For more information on these ceramics and others in the sale, please contact the Prints Department at Prints.London@sothebys.com.
