Picasso’s ceramics
Like many of genius Picasso had a restless spirit. That spirit might explain why he went through so many periods – blue, pink, cubist and experimented in so many different media. In 1947 when his artistic and political fame (he was a director of the Prado during the Spanish Civil War and defied the occupying Nazis) was at its highest he was taking his summer holidays in Vallauris on the Cote d’Azur and walked into the Modoura pottery owned by Georges and Suzanne Ramie. He was asked by them whether he would consider painting ceramics. He did not and never did understand the techniques of pottery, he could not “spin a plate” but the Ramies suggested that if he painted an original they could replicate up to 500 which he could authenticate. Thus began a fecund partnership for over 25 years. These ceramics were a well-kept secret amongst collectors as they were far cheaper to acquire than a Picasso canvas. Richard Attenborough for example who lived in Vallauris acquired 43 of them. These past few years death and sale of the Ramie collection have pushed up the prices significantly. An original vase fetched $2m and copy plate in good condition would go for $50,000- big bucks but not for a Picasso.
The ceramics are rich in colour and reflect the abstract designs of Greek mythology, a face, a corrida, a fish that characterise the painter at his best. Some are circular plates, others rectangular dishes, there are vases and jugs. They are immensely collectible. They are also difficult to forge and easy to establish provenance. Alain Ramie, the son of the potters, has edited the “catalogue raisoneee”, itself a book that costs $5,000 so it’s easy to establish authenticity. Seeking to authenticate a Picasso picture is no easy matter as one daughter Maya is at loggerheads with one son, Claude. With 500 the maximum replicated and often 150, one imagines that many are smashed, damaged or lost so there is a finite market. Dealers are therefore keen to buy up a collection such as that of the photographer Ed Weston whenever they became available. Contrast here with a Dali or Chagall lithograph where you have a real battle on your hands to establish authenticity. The general view is that auction houses have been undervaluing these items. The Modoura collection, which accounts for 58% of the market was sold by Christies for over $12m in 2012.
So if you can, get your hands on one you own a Picasso, a lovely piece, and as good an investment as any share.
