Pablo Picasso ceramic Visage en gros relief (Face in Thick Relief), 1959 is a vibrantly colored round dish with contrasting black and white against russet browns and soft pastel greens to convey an intriguing and expressive face. The brows of the charming, androgynous face are slightly furrowed, making the face appear contemplative. Like many of the faces of Picasso ceramics, the rosy cheeks are highlighted, and emphasizing that facial feature brings an added humanity to the face. Though it is crafted on an inanimate ceramic, the face is not static, and the eyes are instead piercing. Picasso achieves this effect partially through the three dimensional nature of the eyes, which actually protrude from the surface of the dish.

Common on many Picasso ceramic round dishes, he works with the shape of the dish and employs decorative schemes around the boarder, on the raised edges of the plate. The decoration on Visage en gros relief is ivory and pastel green lines which reflect the lines used to create the face in both color and form, which brings a pleasant harmony to the dish.

Created in 1959, this Madoura round dish with decoration in engobes and pastel crayons (ivory, green, mat russet, 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 in Thick Relief (Visage en gros relief), 1959 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices accompanying the 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. 408.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.