Picasso Ceramics: The Madoura Collection

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For Immediate Release30 March 2012

Contact: Leonie Pitts +44 (0)20 7752 3121 [email protected] Hannah Schmidt +44 (0)20 7389 2964 [email protected]

PICASSO CERAMICS: THE M ADOURA COLLECTION

The Ultimate 20th Century Ceramic Collecting OpportunityMapping-Out Picasso’s Creative Journey Over Twenty-Four Years

Highlights from The Madoura Collection

South Kensington – Christie’s is proud to announce the sale of The Madoura Collection of Picasso Ceramics – the

last ever opportunity for collectors to purchase these works by Picasso directly from where they were made, at

the Madoura Pottery in Vallauris, France. The Collection is offered for sale by Alain Ramié, a friend and

colleague of Picasso’s for many years, the author of the catalogue raisonné of Picasso ceramic editions, and the son

of the owners of the Madoura Pottery, Georges and Suzanne Ramié. The Ramié family first inspired Picasso to

enter into the world of pottery in 1946, the beginning of a fascination that would last until the final years of hislife. This unrivalled Collection is expected to realise a total in the region of £2 million, and will be offered at

Christie’s South Kensington saleroom over two days – at 4pm on 25 June and at 10am on 26 June 2012. The

auctions will comprise of around 550 ceramics in perfect condition, many of which have remained untouched

since they were created, as well as prints, posters, photography and furniture from the Pottery. A broad selection

of Picasso’s catalogue raisonné is on offer, dating from his earliest ceramics in 1947 through to his last in 1971, and

estimates range from £100 up to £100,000. Highlights from the collection will be on exhibition in Paris, Hong

Kong and Christie’s King Street premises prior to the full-sale exhibition in South Kensington, London.

India Phillips, Specialist, Impressionist and Modern Art , commented, “Christie’s is privileged to be wor king with

Alain Ramié to stage the single most important collection sale dedicated to Picasso’s Ceramics ever held. Never again will works of

this quality and with such impeccable provenance be offered fresh to the market – direct from the Madoura Pottery where Picasso first

fell in love with the medium and spent many of the happiest and most prolific years of his life. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

for 20th century ceramics collectors and connoisseurs of Picasso’s work , and we are very pleased to be able to offer our clients works

from such an esteemed source .”

Picasso in his studio at Vallauris, 1950s © Roger-Viollet, Paris/ The Bridgeman Art Library

© Succession Picasso/DACS, London 2012.

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Alain Ramié commented, “Picasso was a master of all media with which he worked, and ceramics was no exception. I was

lucky enough to have watched him at work and in publishing the catalogue raisonné of the ceramic editions I hoped to educate

enthusiasts and collectors across the globe. Ceramics were a great passion of Picasso’s and they have been a source of a lifetime’s

passion for me and my parents: now that the pottery is closed it is time for me to sell these works, and give Picasso lovers around the

world the opportunity to share in the great joy that they have brought me.”

The Collection is led by Grand vase aux femmes voilées , conceived by Picasso in 1950 (estimate: £70,000-100,000).

However, a large number of the works on offer are valued between £100 and £5,000 each, including the iconicVallauris plate (estimate: £5,000-7,000). Several themes recur throughout Picasso’s ceramic oeuvre , which are

often seen in his most celebrated paintings, including faces, birds, fish and animals as well as bullfighting scenes

– all are represented within the sale. *See page 3 for a selection of highlights.

Picasso, Madoura and the Ramié Family

Pablo Picasso was famously first made aware of the Madoura Pottery in

1946, whilst visiting the annual ceramics festival in Vallauris in the South

of France. Enchanted by the works on display from the Madoura Pottery,

he asked to be introduced to the creators, Georges and Suzanne Ramié, who invited him to see their workshop in action. Picasso was immediately

inspired, and modelled three clay pieces that day. A year later, he returned

to see his finished works and was delighted with what he had achieved in

this new medium and could not resist getting to work with the clay once

more. A section of the workshop was set aside for Picasso, who sat with

the workers, diligently creating and experimenting with new techniques.

During the 1940s Villauris became an important hub for potters and

artisans, and the romantic Picasso enjoyed returning to the simple life of

the artisan, and being treated as just another worker by the Ramié ’s. He

embraced the simple, working life, out of the spotlight, and with his pet

owl and goat for company: both animals became favoured motifs in his

oeuvre at this time. The simplicity of Vallauris was in great contrast to Picasso’s international celebrity status, and

he was visited there by some of the great names of the

late 20th century such as Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau,

Brigitte Bardot, Gary Cooper and Richard

Attenborough, many of whom he demonstrated his

technique to and was inspired by in turn. The

Madoura Pottery held a very special place in Picasso’sheart and greatly impacted upon his life – not only did

he meet his second wife, Jacqueline Roque, at

Madoura (where she was a pottery assistant), but he

spent twenty-four years there experimenting and

perfecting his ceramic techniques. Between 1947 and

1971 Picasso produced 633 different plates, bowls,

vases and pitchers, in limited editions ranging from 25

to 500.

Growing up in the presence of Picasso, publishing the recognised source on the ceramic editions, and running

the Madoura Pottery for many years have all given Alain Ramié unique first-hand experience of Picasso’s life and

work . Christie’s specialists India Phillips and Michelle McMullan arrived to meet Alain at the Madoura Pottery in

Vallauris on a bright August day in 2011. The preparations had been extensive, but nothing could have prepared

Brigitte Bardot watching Picasso at work during the 1956 International Cannes Film Festival © Getty Images

© Succession Picasso/DACS, London 2012.

Pablo Picasso painting plates at Vallauris © Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images© Succession Picasso DACS, London 2012.



them for the sight they discovered there – shelf after shelf of untouched

Picasso ceramic masterpieces, mapping out his creative journey over twenty-

four years. It took Christie’s almost a week to carefully wrap the many pieces,

whilst taking in the incredible atmosphere of the place. The small workshop

has remained unchanged since Picasso first visited in the 1940s, which adds

to the magic of these untouched editor’s examples. Picasso mastered each

medium he turned his hand to, and the inimitable witticism he worked into

clay produced some of the most creative and recognisable ceramics of the20th century.

Highlights

A selection of vases painted as owls, dated1951-52, to be sold individually Estimates: from £2,000 to £5,000

Gros oiseau corrida, 1953 Estimate: £30,000-50,000

Grande vase hibou, 1951Estimate: £6,000-8,000

Canard pique-fleurs, 1951Estimate: £20,000-30,000

Grande vase aux danseurs, 1950Estimate: £70,000-100,000

Visage no.202, 1963Estimate: £2,500-3,500

Madoura Pottery, Vallauris, France



Quatre profils enlaces, 1949Estimate: £3,000-5,000

A selection of bowls, dated 1954-55, to besold individually Estimates: from £800 to £1,200

Tarasque, 1954Estimate: £20,000-30,000

# # #High resolution images and further information available upon request

Complete catalogue available online at www.christies.com or via the Christie’s iPhone app

Click to vie w Christie’s International Impressionist and Modern Art Department Page Online

Notes to Editors:

PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS

Christie’s Paris, 9 Avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris, France

Select highlights: Friday, 18 May – Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Select highlights: Friday, 25 May – Wednesday, 30 May 2012

Christie’s, 8 King Street, St. James’, London, SW1Y 6QT

Select highlights: Friday, 15 June – Tuesday, 19 June 2012

Christie’s South Kensington, 85 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3LD

Full sale: Saturday, 23 June: 11.00am – 5.00pmSunday, 24 June: 11.00am – 5.00pm

Monday, 25 June: 9.00am – 7.30pm

Auctions: Picasso Ceramics: The Madoura Collection

Monday, 25 June 2012 at 4pm and Tuesday, 26 June 2012 at 10am

Ecatalogue: The full catalogue will be available to view online from June at www.christies.com/calendar

Christie’s and Picasso

Christie’s established the world record price for an artwork sold at auction in New York in May 2010, when Nude, Green Leaves and Bust by Pablo Picasso, from the Collection of Mrs. Sidney F. Brody, sold for $106,482,500(£70,278,450/€81,991,525).

Christie’s is the market leader for sales of Picasso’s ceramics, hav ing held regular sales dedicated to the specific category over the last five years – some of which were 100% sold by lot, with all sales exceeding 90% sold by lot.

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http://www.christies.com/departments/impressionist-and-modern-art-29-1.aspx



http://www.christies.com/calendar








Since the Royal Academy in London hosted the first ever display that focused exclusively on Picasso's clay works in1998, there has been a change in attitude to this portion of his oeuvre, with scholars now appreciating it as an extensionof his master works.

Christie’s South KensingtonOpen seven days a week, Christie’s South Kensington is one of the busiest salerooms in the UK attracting over 200,000 visitors each year. With over 100 sales and offering more than 20,000 lots annually, estimates start from £300. Interiorssales dedicated to home furnishings are held three times a month alongside regular Sunday sales of single-ownercollections. Specialised sales for the avid collector are scheduled throughout the year according to category, and include

Film Posters, Pop Memorabilia, Antiquities, Jewellery, 20th Century British Art and Chinese Works of Art, among others.In 2011 Christie’s South Kensington realised the highest ever total for the second successive year with sales of £115.9million / $186.6 million.

About Christie’sChristie’s, the world's leading art business, had global auction and private sales in 2011 that totaled £3.6 billion/$5.7billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well asinternational glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's has since conducted the greatest and most celebratedauctions through the centuries providing a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 450auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie's also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War and Contemporary, Impressionist and Modern, Old

Masters and Jewellery. Private sales totaled £502 million / $808.6m in 2011, an increase of 44% on the previous year.

Christie’s has a global presence with 53 offices in 32 countries and 10 salerooms around the world includin g in London,New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zürich, and Hong Kong. More recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in growth markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successfulsales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and do not reflect costs, finan cing fees or application of buyer’s or seller’s credits.

CHRISTIE’S SOUTH KENSINGTON85 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3LD

OPENING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

Monday: 9.00am – 7.30pm Tuesday – Friday: 9.00am – 5.00pmSaturday & Sunday: 11.00am - 5.00pm

WWW.CHRISTIES.COMPrices do not include buyers’ premium

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Reproductions for all non-press uses or for press uses where the above criteria do not apply (e.g. covers and feature articles) must be licensed before publication. Further information can be obtained at www.dacs.org.uk or by contacting DACS licensing on +44 207 336 8811.

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Picasso Ceramics: The Madoura Collection