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Cruchon Hibou Owl Pitcher by Pablo Picasso
- Pablo Picasso’s Cruchon hibou transforms a ceramic pitcher into a sculptural owl
- The design was conceived in 1955 for an edition of 500
- Black outlines and blue accents define the bird against white glazed earthenware
- The model is recorded in Alain Ramié’s ceramic catalogue as number 293
- Get complete item description here
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1881–1973 | Spanish
Cruchon hibou (Owl Pitcher)
Painted and glazed earthenware
Pablo Picasso transforms a functional vessel into a sculptural owl in Cruchon hibou, a ceramic design conceived in 1955 and produced by the Madoura Pottery in an edition of 500. Combining painted decoration with the contours of the pitcher itself, the work demonstrates Picasso’s ability to discover animal forms within everyday objects. The model is documented as number 293. . .
1881–1973 | Spanish
Cruchon hibou (Owl Pitcher)
Painted and glazed earthenware
Pablo Picasso transforms a functional vessel into a sculptural owl in Cruchon hibou, a ceramic design conceived in 1955 and produced by the Madoura Pottery in an edition of 500. Combining painted decoration with the contours of the pitcher itself, the work demonstrates Picasso’s ability to discover animal forms within everyday objects. The model is documented as number 293 in Alain Ramié’s catalogue of Picasso’s edited ceramics.
Large black eyes and a pointed beak give the owl its alert expression, while blue brushstrokes suggest brows and spotted plumage. Dark wings follow the rounded sides of the vessel, and painted feet anchor the bird at its base. The elongated neck and swelling body become part of the owl’s anatomy, allowing the image and ceramic form to work together.
Picasso first experimented with ceramics at Madoura in Vallauris, France, in 1946 and returned the following year to pursue the medium extensively. Working with the pottery’s founders, Suzanne and Georges Ramié, he explored how familiar vessels could become figures and animals through changes in shape and decoration. His ceramic practice received a major museum examination in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 1999 exhibition Picasso: Painter and Sculptor in Clay.
With the Edition Picasso and Madoura stamps
Conceived in 1955
11 1/8" high x 4 3/4" wide x 6 3/4" deep
Provenance:
Private estate, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Literature:
Alain Ramié, Picasso: Catalogue of the Edited Ceramic Works, 1947–1971, 1988, no. 293.
| Maker: | Picasso, Pablo |
| Period: | 1919-Present |
| Origin: | France |
| Type: | Other Fine Art |
| Style: | Modernism |
| Depth: | 6.75 in. (17.15 cm) |
| Width: | 4.75 in. (12.07 cm) |
| Height: | 11.13 in. (28.26 cm) |
Buy With Confidence
For over a century, we've placed important art, rare jewels and exceptional objects with more than 14,000 collectors worldwide, and have been recognized by trusted publications including Robb Report, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and more.
On Approval
Examine select works in person before you commit
125% Guarantee
Full credit plus 5% annual appreciation for five years
Trusted Expertise
Over two centuries of combined experience across our specialists
