A smiling face stares out at us from Pablo Picasso ceramic Visage (Face), 1965 A.R. 531 with an expressive brow and mysterious grin. The wild tufts of hair and piercing raised eyes denote a man, perhaps a self-portrait. With it's expressive and gentle embodiment, the ceramic displays Picasso's artistic genius in the ceramic medium. Picasso harnesses the clay and uses its weaknesses to his advantage, creating the hair from breaking the clay off. This intentional use of the medium in this way makes the crooked Picasso ceramic Face (Visage), 1965 A.R. 531 come alive as it looks out at us from the plate. Picasso was a master at pushing the boundaries of all the mediums that he used, and this piece is an excellent example of this. His innovative use of breakages in the clay creates rough and textured details on an otherwise simple white face. The face resulting from this technique looks weathered, but seems to smile at us crookedly. The lack of other decoration does not diminish the artistry, but rather highlights the magnificence of the medium and lets it shine through unencumbered by other decorative schemes. Picasso truly excites with such a simple but ground-breaking exploration both the medium of ceramics, and of the human face.

Created in 1965, this Madoura round dish of white earthenware clay is numbered from the edition of 100 on verso. This work is stamped with the ‘EMPREINTE ORIGINALE DE PICASSO’ and ‘MADOURA PLEIN FEU’ pottery stamps on verso.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Pablo Picasso Ceramic Face (Visage) 1965 A.R. 531, 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. 531.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.