Artwork of the week: Vase of the Painter and the Model (1954)

Among the various forms of expression that Picasso explored, ceramics occupied a prominent place and one of the pieces he created during this period was the Vase of the Painter and the Model (1954). Through ceramics, Picasso was able to reinterpret and transform traditional pottery, fusing sculpture and painting into unique objects full of expressiveness.

During his stay in the south of France, from 1946 until the late 1960s, Picasso immersed himself in the Mediterranean environment, which was steeped in a rich ceramic tradition. Vallauris became his creative refuge, where he produced around 2000 ceramic pieces.

The meeting in 1946 with Suzanne and Georges Ramié, founders of the Madoura workshop in Vallauris, was crucial for Picasso's career and especially for his facet as a ceramist. This collaboration turned the workshop into a center of artistic production and creation, where Picasso found the ideal space to develop his talent and experiment with different materials.

This terracotta vase, decorated with engobe, wax reserves and glaze, is a testimony to the experimentation that the Malaga-born genius experienced through this artistic medium.

The scene depicted in the work shows the "painter and model" in black and green tones, in a composition that combines figurative and abstract elements. The vase itself has an oval shape with a truncated cone-shaped neck and two thick curved handles, which give it a distinctive appearance full of personality.

The theme of "painter and model" was recurrent throughout Picasso's life. He used it for the first time in 1926 and throughout his life he made oil paintings, drawings and graphic works. In 1954, in parallel to the decoration of the ceramic jugs, he made a series of etchings with this same theme. These depictions explored the relationship between the artist and his muse, capturing the dynamics of artistic elaboration and the interaction between the two characters.

The Vase of the Painter and the Model (1954) is part of the ceramic collection donated by Picasso to the Museu Disseny in Barcelona. This piece is currently on display in the exhibition La voluntad de Picasso, which highlights the value of the collection of historic Spanish ceramics and the importance of these pieces in Picasso's ceramic work.

Sources:

Museu del Disseny Barcelona: https://cataleg.museudeldisseny.cat/fitxa/mcb/H375746/?lang=es&resultsetnav=64abca7d90bf9

Museo Picasso Málaga: https://museopicassomalaga.org/exposiciones/ceramica

Blog Museu Picasso Barcelona: https://www.blogmuseupicassobcn.org/2016/09/cambios-coleccion-durante-mes-setiembre-2016-ceramica-protagonista/?lang=es