The figure of this man riding a horse has been created using the functional shapes of a traditional jug, complete with handles, stem, neck, belly and base. The various parts were produced based on Picasso’s design, before being assembled by the artist himself. He was therefore able to introduce to the piece an element of construction, a technique which is common practice in ceramics and which he often used in his work as a sculptor. Another recurrent theme of Picasso’s post-Cubist art is the combination of different techniques, in this case painting and claywork. The painted design picks out the form of the rider, and is particularly important in defining the silhouette of the horse. Dynamism and speed are suggested through the angle and conical shape of the jug’s belly.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Le Cavalier – (The Horseman)
Undated [1950-1951]
Wine jug designed by Picasso
White clay (wheel-thrown and assembled). Decoration painted in black, green and brown engobe and engraved on a white enamel background, underglazed.
Inheritance inventory 57953
Private collection © M. Maurice Aeschimann
© Sucession Picasso 2017