A ceramic plaque by Pablo Picasso, produced in 1968–1969 at the Madoura workshop in Vallauris as part of a limited edition of 200. The square plaque shows a small bearded face, rendered with bold, simple lines in black engobe against the warm red tones of the terre de faïence.
The work belongs to the series of “empreintes originales”, pieces made from moulds taken directly from a design carved by Picasso himself. This technique preserved the immediacy of the artist’s hand while allowing a small number of faithful impressions to be produced.
Bearded faces were a recurring motif in Picasso’s late work, often evoking the figure of the artist, the faun or the classical Mediterranean man. Here, the face is reduced to a few graphic strokes, combining playfulness with the strength of a sign.
The plaque is documented in Alain Ramié’s catalogue raisonné of Picasso’s edited ceramics and is presented framed.
