Corrida de toros y pez (reverso: Caras)

Pablo Picasso, 1957

Technical Details

About This Work

Executed in Cannes in 1957 during Pablo Picasso’s celebrated ceramic phase at the Madoura pottery, 'Corrida de toros y pez (reverso: Caras)' is an extraordinary dual-sided earthenware plate measuring 42 by 42 centimeters. Held in the permanent collection of the Museu Picasso in Barcelona, the principal side presents a dynamic bullfight scene (corrida) featuring a bull and a sculpted white earthenware fish super-imposed upon a turned red earthenware base. Picasso utilizes textured black oxide patina and incised sgraffito lines to evoke the energetic frenzy of the arena, merging Spanish tauromachie traditions with marine motifs. The reverse side features painted facial features and varnish, transforming the functional ceramic support into a multi-dimensional sculptural object. The plate bears visible firing cracks and repairs sustained during creation, reflecting Picasso’s experimental embrace of clay's raw, unpredictable materiality and his playful subversion of traditional decorative crafts.

Created in Cannes in 1957, 'Corrida de toros y pez (reverso: Caras)' stems from Pablo Picasso’s prolific exploration of ceramics initiated after World War II at the Madoura workshop in Vallauris. From 1946 onward, Picasso immersed himself in ceramic techniques, reinventing plates, pitchers, and vessels by treating clay as an active sculptural medium rather than mere canvas. The bullfight (corrida) and marine life were enduring obsessions rooted in Picasso’s Spanish upbringing and his life on the Mediterranean coast, frequently symbolizing primal drama, mortality, and sensory vitality. Entering the Museu Picasso in Barcelona in 1982 via the generous donation of Jacqueline Picasso, the work has been featured in major international exhibitions exploring Picasso’s ceramic oeuvre, including retrospectives at the Cité de la Céramique and the Museu Picasso itself. This unique piece highlights how Picasso pushed pottery beyond utilitarian boundaries, fusing modernist innovation with ancient Mediterranean craft traditions. The documented holding collection is Museu Picasso, Barcelona, Spain; its direct institutional object record (https://museupicassobcn.cat/es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/corrida-de-toros-y-pez-reverso-caras) is retained as the factual source for the catalog entry and its provenance trail.

Current Location

Valuation & Provenance

Keywords