The casts Picasso began to make of his hands from 1937 onwards, as well as the photographs taken of them, underscore the importance that the artist attached to his hands as an artistic tool. Clay was the ideal material for Picasso to express the tactile nature of his sculpture work. The hand placed in relief on the plate represents his creative process, which is also visible in the fingerprints left on the clay.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Main – (Hand)
Vallauris, 1950-1951
White clay (modelled and applied), painted with engobe and oxide, partially underglazed
28 x 28 cm
Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso para el Arte.
© FABA Photo : Marc Domage
© Sucession Picasso 2017