Picasso ceramic Masque Rieur (Laughing Mask), 1968-1969 A.R. 561 is a cheerful, expressive and colorful, while drawing inspiration from one of the artist’s greatest influences, African artwork, and most significantly African masks. Though created decades following Picasso’s African period of the early 20^th Century, this charming artwork provides a pleasant reminder of Picasso’s stylistic path towards Cubism. Details of a friendly face appear in the low relief of a terracotta clay plaque. The essence and joy of laughter is imbued in this artwork, through the facial expression and the playful simplicity of execution that Picasso employed. Smile lines and a dimpled chin painted in emerald green surround the sunny yellow grin. The contours of the nose are defined in opposing streaks of yellow and green, while the circular eyes alternate from green to yellow. A painterly ground of white and blue adorns the mask, partially covering the natural pigment of the red earthenware clay. The mask is outlined loosely with a square indentation and punctuated with a spot of yellow at each corner; Picasso adds these decorative elements to emphasize the geometry of the ceramic plaque form.

Created in 1968-1969, Picasso ceramic Masque Rieur (Laughing Mask), 1968-1969 A.R. 561 is a  Madoura square plaque of red earthenware clay with engobe ground, engraving enhanced with oxides under partial brushed glaze (white, green, yellow, blue, patina).  Numbered from the edition of 100 on verso this work is stamped with the ‘MADOURA PLEIN FEU’ and ‘EMPREINTE ORIGINALE DE PICASSO’ pottery stamps on verso.

CATALOGUE RAISONNÉ & COA:

Pablo Picasso ceramic Masque Rieur (Laughing Mask), 1968-1969 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. Vallauris: Madoura, 1988. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 561.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.