Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881–1973) - No. 197, Madoura Edition 302/500

This ceramic piece is a round white terracotta plate, designed by Pablo Picasso and produced by the Madoura studio in Vallauris. It belongs to the “Éditions de Picasso” series, a collection of replicas created through close collaboration between the artist and the Ramié family beginning in the late 1940s. The work demonstrates Picasso’s mastery in adapting a utilitarian medium to the demands of his artistic language, blending motifs often inspired by antiquity, bullfighting, or the human face, which are enhanced by the inherent roundness of the ceramic form.

Technically, this circular piece (an original cast or authentic replica according to Alain Ramié’s catalogue raisonné, under reference no. 197) was created by stamping or throwing, then decorated using engobes and metal oxides applied with a brush or by knife engraving (incised design). The surface was then partially or fully glazed, either with a glossy crystalline glaze or a matte monochrome or polychrome patina, before undergoing a high-precision firing in the studio’s kilns. The interplay of reliefs and textures highlights the perfect balance between the spontaneity of Picasso’s brushwork and the precision of the art of firing.

The reverse side of the plate bears the official markings essential for its authentication, guaranteeing its inclusion in the publisher’s catalog. It bears the recessed impressions of the studio stamps “Madoura Plein Feu” and “Empreinte Originale de Picasso” (or “Édition Picasso”), attesting to its exclusive provenance from Vallauris. The edition number is hand-inscribed in oxide or engobe as “302/500,” confirming that this is a piece from a limited and numbered edition of five hundred, which gives this ceramic a particularly sought-after heritage and collectible value.

25 x 25 cm