Modernist Ceramic Portrait Plate in the Manner of Pablo Picasso - 20th Century

A wonderfully expressive vintage ceramic portrait plate, discovered at an estate in New York City and displaying the playful, highly individual character associated with 20th-century European Modernist ceramics.

The hand-painted decoration centers on a boldly abstracted face, executed in warm terracotta-red and deep brown brushwork against a creamy glazed ground. Brilliant blue eyes and a loosely dotted cobalt border provide a striking counterpoint, while the exaggerated features and almost childlike immediacy of the composition recall the exuberant ceramic portraits associated with Pablo Picasso and the artistic community of Vallauris.

Particularly charming is the freedom of the decoration: visible brushstrokes, variations in pigment and deliberately irregular forms give the plate the feeling of an artist’s spontaneous studio experiment rather than a conventionally produced decorative object.

The reverse retains additional painterly daubs of color together with a freely rendered signature or inscription, adding further interest to the piece and reinforcing its studio-made character.

Found in a New York City estate, the plate has a wonderfully collected quality and would be particularly compelling displayed alongside Modernist ceramics, works on paper and other artist-made objects. Its intimate scale makes it ideal for a tabletop easel, cabinet display or incorporated into a salon-style art wall.

Please note: This work is not by Pablo Picasso, and no attribution to Picasso is intended. It is described as in the manner of Pablo Picasso solely in reference to its stylistic and aesthetic influences.

Dimensions: 6 in. diameter
Period: 20th century / Vintage
Style: Modernist, Cubist, in the manner of Pablo Picasso
Medium: Hand-painted glazed ceramic
Provenance: Acquired from a New York City estate
Condition: Good vintage condition, with minor irregularities and signs of age consistent with a hand-decorated ceramic object.