Plat ovale 1953

Pablo Picasso made this ceramic plate with dark engobe and decoration in white, yellow, and brown slip, sometime in the 1950s. Looking at this plate, I imagine Picasso having a blast, you know? Just letting loose with the brush. The colors are earthy, like he’s digging into the clay itself. I can almost feel the texture, the slight roughness of the surface under his fingertips. That white line looping around, framing the face, it’s so simple, so direct. It reminds me of Matisse’s cut-outs, that same kind of playful experimentation. And the way he suggests a nose with just a few strokes? Genius. It’s like he’s saying, "Here’s a face, but it’s also just paint and clay." Picasso’s always playing with those boundaries. He's reminding us that art is about seeing and thinking, not just replicating. It’s all one big conversation, isn’t it?