Heather James Fine Art Picasso Ceramics catalogue

Picasso Ceramics

As the scholarship on ceramics practice has increased, so has the recognition of Picasso as an important pioneer in the medium. A major traveling exhibition, Picasso and Ceramics (2004), argued that Picasso was one of the most important ceramists of the 20th century—an artist who worked firmly within the traditions of the medium, and yet pushed it forward with an innovative, conceptual approach. The result is a body of work that is every bit as visually distinctive as Picasso’s paintings and sculptures, but also consistently utilizes the unique shapes and properties of ceramics.

“Ceramics is a logical extension of Picasso’s oeuvre because it integrates issues that he has always dealt with in his art,” says Dr. Karen Kleinfelder, Professor of Art History at California State University, Long Beach, and a well-respected Picasso scholar. “There is a play between the two-dimensional surface and the three-dimensional vessel that the pure medium of painting does not allow. In Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Picasso famously painted a woman’s front side and backside confronting the viewer simultaneously. On a ceramic object, he might show different aspects of a scene that become apparent as you view it in the round.”

Vase à la tête (Visage de profil)—which translates to Vase in the Shape of a Head (Face in Profile)—presents an excellent example of Picasso’s playful, multifaceted approach. This four-sided white vase was handmade by the artist himself in 1956, in an edition of 25. As the vase is turned, four different images look out from its rounded surface, forming four sides—a smiling sun, a human face, a woman’s front side, and a woman’s backside. The piece is charming and whimsical, at the same time that it shows off the vase’s splendid curves, and highlights its function as a vessel.

Other wonderful vase pieces include Pichet à glaçons (Tête de femme) [Ice Pitcher (Head of a Woman] (1952), in which a woman’s head forms the vessel’s body, and a handle and two spouts become her headgear; and Vase à deux anses hautes [Vase with two high handles] (1953), which resembles a woman standing arms akimbo, with two handles forming her arms, her breasts and legs prominently painted on the vessel, and her head opening haughtily up on top. Lauded as an innovator of form, these works show Picasso’s unique talent for wresting inventive and graceful narratives out of surprising contexts.

The round platter or bowl seems to be a surface on which Picasso particularly delighted in tweaking pictorial possibilities.

Plongeurs Fond Blanc (Divers in White), a convex wall plaque in an edition of 500 dated 1956, is a remarkable piece that depicts a group of divers lounging by a pool or a lake. A diver in mid-arch atop a platform echoes the curvature of the top rim of the plaque, while a diver lounging on the ground accentuates its bottom edge. In Picador, a bowl in an edition of 500 dated 1953, a horseman lances a bull’s neck as a toreador awaits nearby. All three figures stand on a plain that lightly curves across the bottom of the bowl. On these objects and others like them, the formal possibilities of the piece are beautifully teased out, as a placid round surface is transformed into an arena filled with drama, action, and startling complexity.

-Carol Cheh

Picasso Ceramics

Polychrome bird, 1947 (AR 33) ceramic dish 12 5/16 x 15 1/8 in. numbered 162/200 3486

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Picasso Ceramics

The Pike, 1950

(AR 103) ceramic dish 15 1/4 in. diameter numbered 144/150 3487

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Picasso Ceramics

Goat’s head in profile, 1952 (AR 154) ceramic dish 16 1/8 in. diameter numbered 26/100 3488

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Picasso Ceramics

Still life with spoon, 1952 (AR 165) ceramic dish 13 in. diameter numbered 108/200 3489

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Picasso Ceramics

Bright owl, 1955 (AR 285) ceramic dish 12 1/2 x 15 1/4 in. edition of 450 3490

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Picasso Ceramics

Vase with bunch, 1956 (AR 304) ceramic plate 9 7/8 in. diameter numbered 51/200 3491

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Picasso Ceramics

Bunch with apple, 1956 (AR 307) ceramic plate 9 7/8 in. diameter edition of 400 3492

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Picasso Ceramics

Centaur, 1956

(AR 339) ceramic dish 16 1/2 in. diameter numbered 53/100 3493

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Picasso Ceramics

Face in a square, 1956 (AR 354) ceramic dish 16 7/8 in. diameter numbered 82/100 3494

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Picasso Ceramics

Face with Grid, 1956 (AR 352) ceramic plate 16 1/2 in. diameter numbered 62/100 3495

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Picasso Ceramics

Tormented Face, 1956 (AR 358) ceramic dish 16 1/2 in. diameter numbered 46/100 3496

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Picasso Ceramics

Tormented Face, 1956 (AR 360) ceramic dish 16 1/2 in. diameter numbered 95/100 3497

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Picasso Ceramics

Divers, 1956

(AR 377) ceramic plaque 7 1/4 in. diameter edition of 500 3498

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Picasso Ceramics

Tauromachy Scene, 1957 (AR 393) ceramic plate 9 in. diameter numbered 35/500 3499

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Picasso Ceramics

Bull, rim with leaves, 1957 (AR 394) ceramic plate 9 in. diameter numbered 27/500 3500

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Picasso Ceramics

Face with pursed nose, 1959 (AR 414) ceramic plate 9 3/4 in. diameter numbered 93/100 3501

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Picasso Ceramics

Dove subject, 1959 (AR 435) ceramic vase/pitcher 8 x 4 1/2 x 6 in. numbered 498/500 3502

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Picasso Ceramics

Big-eyed face, 1960 (AR 443) ceramic plate 9 3/4 in. diameter numbered 93/100 3503

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Picasso Ceramics

Face no. 72 , 1963 (AR 474) ceramic plate 9 7/8 in. diameter numbered 84/150 3504

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Picasso Ceramics

Bird no. 86, 1963 (AR 484) ceramic plate 9 7/8 in. diameter numbered 86/150 3505

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Picasso Ceramics

Dishevelled woman, 1963 (AR 510) ceramic plate 10 1/4 in. diameter numbered 84/100 3506

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Picasso Ceramics

Dishevelled woman, 1963 (AR 510) ceramic plate 10 1/4 in. diameter numbered 50/100 3507

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Picasso Ceramics

Man’s face, 1966 (AR 539) ceramic plaque 6.5 x 4 in. numbered 356/500 3508

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Picasso Ceramics

Man’s face, 1966 (AR 539) ceramic plaque 6.5 x 4 in. numbered 185/500 3509

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Picasso Ceramics

Figures and cavalier, 1968 (AR 540) ceramic plaque 4 x 6.5 in. numbered 43/500 3510

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Picasso Ceramics

Figures and cavalier, 1968 (AR 540) ceramic plaque 4 x 6.5 in. numbered 120/500 3511

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Picasso Ceramics

Little bearded face, 1968 (AR 558) ceramic plaque 6 3/4 x 6 3/4 in. numbered 33/200 3512

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Picasso Ceramics

Laughing mask, 1969 (AR 562) ceramic plaque 6 3/4 x 6 3/4 in. numbered 35/200 3513

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Picasso Ceramics

Y-stylized face, 1968 (AR 563) ceramic plaque 6 3/4 x 6 3/4 in. numbered 24/200 3514

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Picasso Ceramics

Face with circles, 1969 (AR 612) ceramic pitcher 11 3/8 x 7 in. numbered 202/500 3515

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Picasso Ceramics

Tete de Faun, 1956 (AR 346) ceramic brick 7 5/8 x 7 5/8 in. signed ‘Picasso’ 3516

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Picasso Ceramics

Still life with spoon, 1952 (AR 163) ceramic dish 13 in. diameter numbered 38/100 3517

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Picasso Ceramics

White ground fish, 1952 (AR 168) ceramic dish 13 1/5 x 16 1/2 in. numbered 61/200 3518

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Picasso Ceramics

Picador, 1953

(AR 211) ceramic cup 6 1/2 in. diameter numbered 404/500 3519

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Picasso Ceramics

Picador, 1953

(AR 211) ceramic cup 6 1/2 in. diameter numbered 123/500 3520

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Picasso Ceramics

Tormented Faun’s face, 1956 (AR 319) ceramic plate 16 1/2 in. diameter numbered 15/100 3521

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Picasso Ceramics

Face with spots, 1956 (AR 349) ceramic plate 16 7/16 in. diameter numbered 15/100 3522

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Picasso Ceramics

Heads, 1956

(AR 367) ceramic pitcher 5 1/8 in. edition of 500 3523

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Picasso Ceramics

Round-eyed face, 1960 (AR 452) ceramic plate 7 1/2 in. diameter numbered 62/100 3524

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Picasso Ceramics

Round-eyed face, 1960 (AR 452) ceramic plate 7 1/2 in. diameter numbered 82/100 3525

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Picasso Ceramics

Face No. 54, 1963 (AR 467) ceramic plate 9 3/4 in. diameter numbered 84/150 3526

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Picasso Ceramics

Face No. 197, 1963 (AR 494) ceramic plate 9 3/4 in. diameter numbered 285/500 3527

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Picasso Ceramics

Face with large nose, 1963 (AR 503) ceramic plate 10 3/4 in. diameter numbered 35/100 3528

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Picasso Ceramics

Women and toreador, 1968 (AR 541) ceramic plaque 6 1/2 x 4 in. numbered 115/500 3529

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Picasso Ceramics

Women and toreador, 1968 (AR 541) ceramic plaque 6 1/2 x 4 in. numbered 155/500 3530

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Picasso Ceramics

Little sun, 1968 (AR 544) ceramic plaque 4 x 6 1/2 in. numbered 87/100 3531

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Picasso Ceramics

Little sun, 1968 (AR 545) ceramic plaque 4 x 6 1/2 in. numbered 80/100 3532

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Picasso Ceramics

Little sun, 1968 (AR 546) ceramic plaque 4 x 6 1/2 in. numbered 94/100 3533

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Picasso Ceramics

Little sun, 1968

(AR 547) ceramic plaque 4 x 6 1/2 in. numbered 158/200 3534

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Picasso Ceramics

Light Neptune, 1968 (AR 578) ceramic plaque 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 in. numbered 9/100 3535

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Picasso Ceramics

Flute player, 1951 (AR 127) ceramic plate 9 7/8 in. diameter edition of 40 3536

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Picasso Ceramics

Hands with fish, 1953 (AR 214) ceramic bowl 12 1/2 in. diameter numbered 31/250 3538

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Picasso Ceramics

Face, 1955

(AR 290) ceramic bowl 4 in. diameter edition of 500 3539

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Picasso Ceramics

Dancers and diaulos player, 1955 (AR 341) ceramic plate 12 1/2 x 15 1/2 in. numbered 86/100 3540

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Picasso Ceramics

Big candy-striped vase, 1956 (AR 370) ceramic vase 12 1/2 x 15 1/2 in. numbered 17/25 3541

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Picasso Ceramics

Wood owl, 1969 (AR 602) ceramic vase 11 3/4 x 8 7/8 in. numbered 278/350 3542

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Picasso Ceramics

Wood owl, 1969 (AR 603) ceramic vase 11 3/4 x 8 7/8 in. numbered 180/250 3543

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Picasso Ceramics

Oval with horse, 1971 (AR 622) ceramic tile 6 x 6 in. numbered 228/500 3544

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Picasso Ceramics

Little square with face, 1971 (AR 633) ceramic tile 6 x 6 in. numbered 176/500 3545

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Picasso Ceramics

Reclining figure, 1950 (AR 633) ceramic chard 3 x 6 in.

3547

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Picasso Ceramics

Ram’s head, 1950

ceramic chard incised ‘Vallauris Juillet 1950’ 3548

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Picasso Ceramics

Chard, 1962 ceramic chard dated ‘15.5.62’ 3549

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Picasso Ceramics

Visage, 1965

(AR 524) ceramic plate 16 7/8 in. diameter numbered 29/100 3550

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Picasso Ceramics

Visage, 1965

(AR 525) ceramic plate 16 7/8 in. diameter numbered 64/100 3551

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Picasso Ceramics

Visage, 1965

(AR 526) ceramic plate 16 7/8 in. diameter numbered 13/100 3552

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Picasso Ceramics

Visage, 1965

(AR 527) ceramic plate 16 7/8 in. diameter numbered 10/100 3553

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Picasso Ceramics

Visage, 1965

(AR 528) ceramic plate 16 7/8 in. diameter numbered 44/100 3554

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Picasso Ceramics

Visage, 1965

(AR 529) ceramic plate 16 7/8 in. diameter numbered 46/100 3555

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Picasso Ceramics

Visage, 1965

(AR 530) ceramic plate 16 7/8 in. diameter numbered 16/100 3556

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Picasso Ceramics

Visage, 1965

(AR 531) ceramic plate 16 7/8 in. diameter numbered 30/100 3557

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Picasso Ceramics

Visage, 1965

(AR 532) ceramic plate 16 7/8 in. diameter numbered 3/100 3558

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Picasso Ceramics

Pichet a Glacons, 1952 (AR 142) ceramic pitcher 8 x 15 x 12 3/4 in. numbered 12/100 3483

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Picasso Ceramics

Picador, 1952 (AR 162) ceramic pitcher 5 1/4 in. edition of 500 3484

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Picasso Ceramics

Heads, 1956

(AR 367) ceramic pitcher 5 1/8 in. edition of 500 3485

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Picasso Ceramics

Picador, 1955 (AR 289) ceramic cup 5 in. diameter edition of 500 3663

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Picasso Ceramics

Colombe de la Paix, 1955 ceramic plate 9 x 7 in.

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Picasso Ceramics

Face with herring-bone patterned mask , 1963 (AR 501) ceramic plate 10 1/4 in. diameter numbered 58/100 3665

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Picasso Ceramics

Cavalier and horse, 1969 (AR 594) ceramic plaque 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 in. numbered 59/100 3666

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Picasso Ceramics

Picador, 1952 (AR 162) ceramic pitcher 5 1/4 in. edition of 500 3667

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Picasso Ceramics

Owl Pitcher, 1969 (AR 604) ceramic pitcher 9 x 5 1/2 x 11 in. numbered 91/250 3668

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Picasso Ceramics

Faun’s Head, 1955 (AR 283) ceramic plate 10 x 10 in. edition of 150 3669

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Picasso Ceramics

Little square with sun, 1971 (AR 631) ceramic tile 6 x 6 in. numbered 184/500 3670

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Picasso Ceramics

Lozenge with face, 1971 (AR 627) ceramic tile 6 x 6 in. numbered 239/500 3671

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Picasso Ceramics

Toros, 1952

(AR 161) ceramic plate 7 7/8 in. diameter edition of 500 3672

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Picasso Ceramics

Jacqueline’s Profile, 1956 (AR 383) ceramic wall plaque 7 1/4 in. diameter edition of 500 3673

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Picasso Ceramics

Jacqueline’s Profile, 1956 (AR 385) ceramic wall plaque 7 1/4 in. diameter edition of 500 3673

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Picasso Ceramics

Vase with two high handles, 1953 (AR 213) ceramic wall plaque 10 3/4 x 6 3/4 x 15 3/8 in. edition of 400 3724

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