Reference

Ramié, Alain. Picasso: Catalogue of the Edited Ceramic Works 1947–1971. Galerie Madoura, Vallauris, 1988. (Ramié 494, illustrated p.342)

Created by

Madoura Pottery, Vallauris, France

Dimensions

25.5 cm diameter (10 in.)

Provenance

Private Collection, Israel.

Condition

A fine example with bright glazes and strong colour saturation. The reverse bearing the standard Madoura workshop inscriptions and edition markings. In very good condition.

Catalogue Note

Executed in 1963, Visage No. 197 belongs to Picasso's celebrated series of editioned ceramic faces produced in collaboration with the Madoura pottery in Vallauris. By this period Picasso had transformed ceramics into one of the most inventive aspects of his artistic practice, using the medium as a meeting point between drawing, sculpture and functional design.

The present work demonstrates the extraordinary economy of means that characterises Picasso's mature ceramics. Using only a handful of confident brushstrokes, he creates a striking and highly expressive face whose features seem to oscillate between portrait, mask and symbolic image. Bold black lines define the eyes, nose and smiling mouth, while passages of blue and green glaze enliven the composition and lend the face a playful vitality.

The circular form of the plate becomes an integral part of the design, functioning simultaneously as object and image. The radiating border motifs frame the face like a halo or sunburst, enhancing the work's graphic presence while reinforcing its sense of spontaneity and energy. The apparent simplicity of the composition conceals a sophisticated understanding of line, balance and expression that Picasso developed over decades of experimentation.

Produced in an edition of 500 by the Madoura workshop, Visage No. 197 is a highly characteristic example of Picasso's ceramic production. Combining humour, invention and immediacy, it reflects the freedom and confidence that define the artist's Vallauris period and remains one of the most engaging manifestations of his celebrated ceramic oeuvre.