Pablo Picasso’s Figure de proue (1952) is a playful and elegant example of the artist’s sculptural imagination in clay. Crafted at the Madoura workshop in Vallauris, this ceramic pitcher takes on the anthropomorphic form of a stylized bird or female figure, its spout transformed into a face rendered with Picasso’s signature economy of line.

Decorated in soft blue and beige tones with bold, graphic features, Figure de proue - which translates to “figurehead” - embodies the spirit of invention that defined Picasso’s ceramic work. The title nods to maritime tradition, evoking the carved figures that once adorned the bows of ships, and here, the vessel becomes both functional object and mythic emblem.

Merging whimsy with classical poise, the piece captures Picasso’s delight in blurring boundaries between art and craft, sculpture and design. With its graceful contours and expressive personality, Figure de proue stands as a testament to the artist’s belief that even the simplest form could hold infinite creative possibility.