Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973)
Title: Visage No 125
Face Number 125
Medium: Round plate, 1963, white earthenware clay, decoration in engine and oxides under glaze. Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Black, White. Verso: Handwritten glazed inscription in black under glaze: No 197/EDITION PICASSO/MADOURA
Size: 25.5 cms (Diameter) (10 Inches)
Reference: Alain Ramié, Picasso: Catalogue of the Edited Ceramic Works 1947 - 1971, Galerie Madoura, 1988, reproduced page 342, catalogue Number 477
Edition: 95/150
Created by: Madoura Potteries, Vallauris, France
Provenance: A collection from East 80th Street, New York, New York
Condition: Several very minor flea bites to the underside of rim, minor soiling on back
Note: This whimsical and humorous face echoes that of a clown, conveying a sense of light-heartedness and childlike sentiment. The bright glaze adds to the deep blue and forest green cheeks set against the brilliant white background. Deep, bold strokes of black come together to create the minimalist features of the eyes, bridge of the nose, and wide smile. The coloration serves as another character to this work, adding life and depth to this visage. Picasso had created a number of faces for a series of ceramic plates at this same time ; this particular example stands out as one of his more cheerful and exuberant works.
