Pablo Picasso

Estate of the artist
Marina Picasso (the artist’s granddaughter; by descent from the above)
Jan Krugier Fine Art, New York (acquired from the above)
Private Collection, Florida (acquired from the above)
Thence by descent

The work is in excellent condition. There is slight wear to base and surface maybe very slightly dirty, otherwise fine. The ceramic is accompanied by a bronze display stand, which is not original to the piece.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Beginning with his first trip to Vallauris in the summer of 1946, Picasso remained enchanted by the freedom and expressive nature of the ceramic medium through the last twenty-five years of his life. Visage sur fond jaune belongs to a crucial period in Picasso’s career when ceramics became an integral part of his artistic output. In this element of his oeuvre and quite notably in this piece, we truly see the artist’s freedom of thought and creative powers, and the sense of playfulness for which he was so renowned. Executed in 1958, this unique and brightly colored piece displays the ecstatic smiling circular face motif which delighted the artist, creating a form which could both contain the motif while providing structure for the plate itself. As Picasso’s grandson observed: “He used and subverted the ancient tradition: a plate becomes a painting, a pot becomes a face, a newspaper a tray, a plate a plate” (Bernard Ruiz-Picasso in Picasso: Painter and Sculptor in Clay (exhibition catalogue), London, Royal Academy of Arts & New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1998-99, p. 22).