Pablo Picasso, Picasso Plate, Visage (Face), 1960

Artist: Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973)
Title:Picasso Plate, Visage (Face), 1960
Reference:Ramié 446
Medium:Madoura round dish of white earthenware clay with decoration in engobes (ivory, yellow, blue, brown, mat black) under partial brushed glaze
Image Size:DIAMETER: 16 1/2 in (42 cm)
Edition:Numbered from the edition of 100.
Signature:This work is stamped with the 'MADOURA PLEIN FEU' and 'EMPREINTE ORIGINALE DE PICASSO' pottery stamps on the reverse.
Condition:This work is in excellent condition.
ID #w-4372

Historical Description

This vibrantly colored Pablo Picasso ceramic Visage (Face), 1960 contrasts black and ivory tones against yellow, blue, and brown hues to convey an intriguing and expressive face. Picasso creates a somewhat androgynous face with long nose and bushy eyebrows. This figure smiles out at us with bright yellow cheeks which draw the viewer in and emanate a sense of joy and playfulness. The plate is partially glazed, and as such the background of the face appears shiny, while the remainder of dish is matte black. This creates interesting contrasting textures across the surface of the dish. This would also cause interplay with the light that would highlight certain parts of the dish, like the face, over others. Like many of the faces that appear in Picasso's ceramic oeuvre, Picasso ceramic Face is relatively abstracted, and exists without much context on the ceramic dish itself. Picasso was endlessly interested in the human face and explored it throughout his ceramic career. In particular he did a lot of work that broke the face down into its most basic elements, and then experimented with different decorative schemes.

Created in 1960, this round dish of white earthenware clay with decoration in engobes (ivory, yellow, blue, brown, mat black) under partial brushed glaze is from the edition of 100. This work is stamped with the 'MADOURA PLEIN FEU' and 'EMPREINTE ORIGINALE DE PICASSO' pottery stamps on the reverse.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Pablo Picasso ceramic Face (Visage), 1960 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: 1988. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 446.

2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.