Picasso Ceramics History and Valuation
Starting in 1947, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) partnered with Madoura Pottery in southern France to create thousands of painted ceramic pieces in over 600 unique limited run patterns. Although he had no previous experience in pottery, Picasso threw himself into this new style and created a huge number of beautiful plates, bowls, pitchers, vases, and sculptures. Because such a large number of Picasso ceramics were produced in the 50s and 60s, and prices for the pieces can vary from a few thousand to over a million dollars, determining the value of your Picasso ceramic piece can be challenging without seeking an expert appraisal.
History of Picasso Ceramics
Picasso first began producing ceramic pieces in 1947, when he was invited to collaborate with Madoura pottery studio in Vallauris, France. He had visited the studio the year before, and became enamored with their work. Picasso initially worked with simpler items such as decorated plates and bowls, but later moved on to experiment with pitchers and vases, often incorporating abstract organic shapes and zoomorphic forms into his work. Once he finished a piece, it would typically be used as a model for other workers at Madoura to produce reproductions of the piece in limited series of 50 to 500 pieces.
Since he had very little prior experience with creating pottery, Picasso had to learn how to work with this new medium through many years of relentless experimentation. Early on, he was often surprised by the way that the color and transparency of different glazes would change in the kiln, but through much trial and error he slowly became adept at selecting the correct glazes to achieve his vision for each piece. In a similar vein, he experimented with the way a 3D surface changed the perception of the 2D patterns on its surface, with shadows and surface distortions eventually becoming desired features that accented his painting.
During his lifetime, Picasso’s ceramic works were often viewed as inferior to his paintings, and received little attention from serious art collectors. Today, however, his pottery is adored by many, and particularly high quality original pieces can sell at auction for $1,000,000 or more.
What Inspired Picasso to Produce Ceramics?
While the high prices and relative rarity of Picasso’s paintings meant that most people would never be able to own one, the artist liked the idea of working in a medium that would be more accessible to the average person. He realized that pottery could be produced on a scale that his paintings could not. With prices of around $100 in the 1950s and 1960s, Picasso’s ceramic series were far more financially accessible than his previous artworks. The utilitarian nature of his pottery also made the art form more appealing to the general public, who may not understand the appeal of an abstract painting, but who could appreciate the value of a beautiful plate or pitcher.
The style of his pottery was inspired by Spanish folk ceramics, which placed a higher emphasis on the decoration of the pieces than the quality of materials or perfection of the object. He often chose traditional Spanish motifs for his works, such as bullfights, roosters, suns, and human faces. Picasso also appreciated the way that ceramics combined the disciplines of painting and sculpture. Painting onto a three dimensional surface allowed the artist to explore different facets of cubism and work with the shape of the ceramic to create unique spacial effects.
What methods did Picasso use to produce his ceramic art?
Since Picasso had no prior training in ceramics, professional potters at Madoura would create blank ceramic objects for him to work with. He would then reshape, paint, and engrave the pottery to create his original designs. Picasso had previous experience engraving lithographs, which informed the methods he used to engrave his pottery, as well as his choice to release the pottery in numbered editions. While this numbering practice was common for lithographs at the time, it was relatively unheard of for pottery.
For Picasso’s more simple shapes, such as plates and bowls, the pottery would typically be reproduced using ceramic molds. For his more complex shapes, Picasso would sculpt the original, and other craftsmen at Madoura would create reproductions based on the model by hand.
How many ceramic Pieces did Picasso Create?
Between 1947 and 1971, Picasso created 633 different ceramic editions. Many of these designs were released in series of 50-500 pieces, while others were unique pieces. Over this 24 year period, he is believed to have personally produced over 3,500 unique pieces of ceramic pottery.
In addition, around 120,000 total Edition Picasso Ceramics, or “Authentic replicas” of his designs were produced during this same period. These pieces were produced using the same methods and designs as Picasso’s originals, although Picasso had no direct hand in their production.
How Much are Picasso Ceramics Worth?
Picasso ceramics are typically split into two broad categories: Picasso Ceramic Originals, and Edition Picasso Ceramics. Originals are pieces that Picasso personally sculpted and/or painted, while Edition Ceramics are pieces that are based on Picasso’s designs, but were not personally made by him.
Picasso Ceramic Originals
Picasso Ceramic originals are those pieces which were sculpted, etched, or painted by Picasso himself. These pieces were often models which were then used to create reproductions by other potters at Madoura. Most known Picasso originals are held by museums or in private collections. When one does come available at auction, it will typically sell for between 100,000 and 1,000,000. It is unknown how many Picasso ceramic originals are still in circulation, as the artist did not always clearly differentiate the pieces that he painted.
Edition Picasso Ceramics (Reproductions)
The majority of Picasso ceramics on the market fall into this category. These pieces are modeled after original pieces created and/or decorated by Picasso himself. These Edition Ceramics include plates and other simple objects which were made in clay molds and stamped with etchings created by Picasso, then painted to resemble Picasso’s original. Another method involved producing larger objects like vases and pitchers, then hand molding them to resemble Picasso’s original piece.
These pieces were typically released in numbered series of up to 500 pieces, although the objects were made in smaller batches that would be reproduced each time the last batch sold out. Average auction prices for these pieces can range from $5,000 to $30,000 depending on the rarity and popularity of the design in question.
This category also includes Edition Picasso Ceramic Variations, which are pieces that are unique variations of established series. These pieces may use different colors, mirrored images, altered patterns, or other differences from the others in the main series. While the great majority of these variants were also made by Madoura workers rather than Picasso himself, their originality sometimes causes them to command pisces anywhere from 2 to 10 times what is typical for the series.
Valuable Picasso Ceramics
Here is a collection of valuable Picasso original ceramics and Picasso Edition ceramics:
La Chouette en Colère (1953)
This glazed ceramic sculpture of an angry owl is based off of a small owl that Picasso kept as a pet during his early years producing pottery in France. It has commanded the highest auction price for any Picasso ceramic piece to date.
- Estimate: $800,000-$1,200,000
- Result: $2,475,000
Cabri (1947)
This unusual zoomorphic vase was produced early in Picasso’s time at Madoura, and features two handles on the same side styled to look like brown horns.
- Estimate: $188,925 – $283,385
- Result: $763,565
Gros Oiseau Visage Noir (1951)
This Edition piece is one of 25 produced, and features the face of a large black bird on a two handled vase.
- Estimate: $165,565 – $248,350
- Result: $451,955
Femme (1948)
This unusual abstract sculpture of a woman with long legs is entirely unglazed.
- Estimate: $188,925 – $283,385
- Result: $404,610
How to Identify Picasso Ceramics
Picasso ceramics will typically have several pieces of information incised into the unglazed back or bottom of the object. This information includes some combination of the date, the series number, the objects number in the series (e.g. 27/100), and ‘Madoura’. The object will additionally give details on how it was produced, with the most common being “Edition Picasso”, although alternate inscriptions include “d’Apres Picasso”, “Madoura Plein Feu”, and “Empreinte Originale De Picasso”.
How Can I Sell My Picasso Ceramics?
During his 24 year collaboration with Madoura Pottery, Picasso produced over 3,000 original works, and over 100,000 individual replicas of his works. With prices ranging from a few thousand dollars to over a million, an expert appraisal is highly recommended to determine the authenticity and value of your Picasso ceramic objects.
Revere Auctions Sells Your Picasso Ceramics
Revere Auctions is ready to help you sell your Picasso original ceramics or Edition Picasso ceramics at auction for competitive prices. Our Experts at Revere Auctions can assist you with any stage of your art journey, whether you are looking for an estimate of value, a USPAP certified appraisal, art restoration, or an effortless way to sell your art. We advertise our sales on more auction platforms than any other auction house in America, and regularly achieve record prices for our objects. If you are interested in selling with us, please reach out for a free online assessment of your piece today.