Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) is one of the twentieth century’s great international artists. During his life he moved between a number of different styles, even if he is perhaps now most associated with the founding of Cubism. He often found inspiration in foreign cultures, and in traditional art, children’s drawings and the stories of Antiquity. By chance, at the end of WWII, Picasso came into contact with the small faience factory of Madoura, in Vallauris in southern France, and worked there for several years. He created unique pieces and design models that were produced in limited series, generally just a few hundred examples. These were often plates or jugs with figurative décor using animals and human faces, with clear influences from traditional Mediterranean ceramics.
There are stories that Picasso, who was a member of the French Communist Party, particularly appreciated the camaraderie he found in working with the faience factory’s throwers and décor painters during his years in Vallauris. The products he designed were also available to a wider audience than his other works, because they were sold at relatively low prices.