Pablo Picasso

Berlin, Galerie Bastian, Picasso at Madoura, 2016, n.n.

Throughout Picasso’s ceramic oeuvre, birds emerge as one of the artist’s most recurrent motifs. In representing the animal in his clay editions, Picasso draws inspiration from ancient Greek pottery, as birds were viewed as symbols of wisdom and messengers of the divine within classical mythology. Picasso builds on this tradition by not only incorporating bird imagery into his ceramic work, but also by transforming his earthenware vessels themselves into animalistic forms.  

Nowhere is this zoomorphism more clearly seen than in Picasso’s Vase gros oiseau vert. This distinct vase, characterised by a large spherical pot, elongated neck, and dramatic handles, was first conceived by Picasso in 1951 and later reworked by the artist in 1960 to produce the present design. In decorating this work, Picasso cleverly conceals two different animals within one vessel. The face at the centre of the pot is reminiscent of the faun-like creatures that feature on many of Picasso’s plates during this time, while the neck and spout of the vase reveal the face of a bird. The vase’s handles therefore perform a dual function in acting as both the horns of the faun and the wings of the bird. The inimitable design of the Vase gros oiseau vert showcases Picasso’s creativity in incorporating multidimensional subject matter within a single vessel, while simultaneously reflecting his continuous exploration and experimentation within the medium of earthenware ceramics.