Pablo Picasso Large bird, black face, 1951

In 1951, Pablo Picasso Large Bird, Black Face was brought to life, a striking ceramic creation from his celebrated period at the Madoura pottery studio in Vallauris, where his exploration of animal forms reached poetic heights. This commanding piece captures the essence of avian majesty through a bold synthesis of sculptural form and painted decoration, its broad body and sweeping curves echoing the bird’s natural grace while exuding the solidity of ancient earthenware. The black-painted face, stark against the warm terracotta and creamy glazes, imbues the creature with a sense of mystery and intensity, its gaze fixed and knowing, as though guarding some ancient secret. Picasso’s confident, fluid brushwork transforms the surface into a tapestry of pattern and texture, suggesting plumage with a few economical gestures, while the exaggerated proportions—broad breast, tapered tail—imbue the bird with both monumental presence and whimsical charm. Drawing on the symbolic power of birds in myth and art, from messengers of the gods to emblems of freedom and transformation, Picasso distills their spirit into a single, timeless image. In the Large Bird with Black Face, the artist transcends naturalism to create a creature at once familiar and otherworldly, a fusion of earth and sky, permanence and flight.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Pablo Picasso Large bird, black face, 1951 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.