In 1950, working within the creative sanctuary of the Madoura pottery studio in Vallauris, Pablo Picasso Big Vase with Nude Women was conceived, a monumental ceramic that merges the voluptuous sensuality of the human form with the timeless grandeur of ancient pottery. The vase’s ample, curving body becomes a natural canvas for a procession of nude female figures, their contours flowing seamlessly with the vessel’s rounded silhouette. Rendered in Picasso’s assured, economical line, the women are at once classical and modern—echoes of ancient Greek amphorae and Minoan frescoes, yet imbued with the bold distortions and playful intimacy that defined his mid-century style. Their poses are languid yet animated, a harmonious dance of curves and gestures that celebrates both the physicality and the vitality of the feminine. Earthy terracotta tones and deftly applied glazes create depth and warmth, inviting the viewer to move around the piece and experience the figures as a continuous, unfolding narrative. In this work, Picasso elevates the utilitarian object into a timeless ode to the female form, transforming clay into a celebration of beauty, sensuality, and the enduring dialogue between antiquity and modernity.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Pablo Picasso Big vase With Nude Women, 1950 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices accompanying the final sale of the work):

1. Ramié, Alain. Picasso Catalogue of the edited ceramic works 1947-1971. Madoura: Galerie Madoura, 1988. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 117.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.