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

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

The hand-painted composition features an abstracted, mask-like face rendered with remarkably economical black brushwork. A circular outline frames simplified eyes, an elongated central nose and a gently curved mouth, while gestural flourishes give the figure an almost fantastical character. Loosely painted accents of powder blue and pale blush punctuate the perimeter of the creamy glazed ground.

There is a wonderful immediacy to the decoration, recalling the way Modernist artists reduced the human face to its most essential lines and forms. The naïve quality of the drawing, combined with its confident brushwork and intentionally irregular execution, gives the plate the feeling of an artist’s spontaneous studio study.

The reverse retains additional hand-painted daubs of blue and blush together with a freely rendered signature or inscription, further contributing to its individual, studio-made character.

Acquired from a New York City estate, the plate would be particularly compelling displayed amongst 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.