Hibou (Owl)

Pablo Picasso, artist

1881–1973

Hibou (Owl), 1953

Where object was made: France

Material/technique: paint; clay

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 30 x 20 x 17 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 11 13/16 x 7 7/8 x 6 11/16 in

Credit line: Anonymous gift

Accession number: 2006.0307

On display: Loo Gallery

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After visiting the annual ceramic exhibit in Vallauris in the south of France in 1946, Pablo Picasso was so impressed by the Madoura Pottery workshop that he sought out the owners Suzanne and Georges Ramié. They invited him to their workshop, where Picasso made three pieces and left them to dry and bake. When he returned the next year, he was so delighted by the result that he began a long and productive partnership with the Madoura Workshop. The entire Madoura team was involved, and Suzanne Ramié in particular taught Picasso her craft secrets. Owls, like this piece, feature prominently in Picasso’s ceramic works. They may have had special relevance as the owl was the ancient symbol of Antibes, the region neighboring Vallauris, where Picasso spent his summers making ceramics in the final years of his life.