Pablo Picasso - Editions Southampton New York Saturday, June 25, 2022 | Phillips

Editions Southampton

New York Auction 25 June 2022

  • Literature

    Claire Siaud and Pierre Hugo, Bijoux d'artistes: Hommage à François Hugo, Orfève, Aix-en-Provence, 2001, no. 1436
    Douglas Cooper, Picasso, 19 plats en argent par François et Pierre Hugo, Paris, 1977
    Georges Bloch, Pablo Picasso: Catalogue de l'oeuvre gravé céramique, 1949-1971, vol. III, Bern, 1972, no. 91 (ceramic version illustrated)
    Alain Ramié, Picasso, Catalogue of the Edited Ceramic Works, 1947-1971, Madoura, 1988, no. 325 (ceramic version illustrated)

  • Catalogue Essay

    The idea to execute a set of plates in silver came about one day in May 1956. Having just received a new group of ceramics from the Madoura studio, Picasso remarked to his friend, the art historian and collector, Douglas Cooper "the objects themselves gradually directed our thoughts and conversation towards the opulently chased gold and silver platters and dishes of the 16th and 17th centuries, made in France, or Augsburg or Venice, many of which were designed by famous artists. A few moments later Picasso interjected that he himself had thought how splendid his own platters would look if they were carried out in silver". Douglas Cooper, Picasso: 19 plats en argent par François and Pierre Hugo, exh. cat., London, 1977.

    Picasso did not know anyone who could undertake the project so Cooper proposed that he enlist the silversmiths François and Pierre Hugo. Picasso turned over a series 24 ceramic of biscuit platters to the Hugos who used them to make molds. He chose examples with strong sculpting and gauging of the image, and interesting textures where he had used mesh, wicker or cardboard on the surface. Using these molds, the Hugos carefully hammered thin sheets of silver to capture every nuance of the form and texture. This meticulous repoussé technique and the use of precious metal recall the work of traditional craftsmen, as Picasso had wanted. In 1967, Picasso authorized the Hugos to produce 19 of these plates in small numbered editions of 20 and a few different proofs.

  • Artist Biography

    Pablo Picasso

    Spanish • 1881 - 1973

    One of the most dominant and influential artists of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso was a master of endless reinvention. While significantly contributing to the movements of Surrealism, Neoclassicism and Expressionism, he is best known for pioneering the groundbreaking movement of Cubism alongside fellow artist Georges Braque in the 1910s. In his practice, he drew on African and Iberian visual culture as well as the developments in the fast-changing world around him.

    Throughout his long and prolific career, the Spanish-born artist consistently pushed the boundaries of art to new extremes. Picasso's oeuvre is famously characterized by a radical diversity of styles, ranging from his early forays in Cubism to his Classical Period and his later more gestural expressionist work, and a diverse array of media including printmaking, drawing, ceramics and sculpture as well as theater sets and costumes designs. 

    View More Works

41

Pablo Picasso

Tête en forme d'horloge (Clock-shaped head)

1967
Repoussé silver plate, contained in the original wooden presentation box with blue velvet lining.
17 x 17 x 1 1/4 in. (43.2 x 43.2 x 3.2 cm)
Impressed 'Picasso' and numbered 19/20 (there were also 2 artist's proofs, 2 author's proofs and 6 hors commerce examples produced), with the French assay marks for silver and the silversmith's mark and registration numbers '1436' and '3621' impressed on the underside, executed by Atelier François and Pierre Hugo, Paris, 1967, with a certificate of authenticity from Pierre Hugo.

Estimate
$30,000 - 50,000 

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Editions Southampton

New York Auction 25 June 2022