Petit buste de femme is one of seven terracotta plaques which Picasso produced with the Ramiés at Madoura in the early 1960s. In addition to his collaboration with the Ramiés in Vallauris since 1947, Picasso had also started an equally fruitful and creative working relationship with the local printmaker Hidalgo Arnéra in 1954, where Picasso created this series of seven linocuts. The ceramics produced at Atelier Madoura and the linocuts produced at Imprimerie Arnéra highlight the breadth of collaboration between Picasso and these two studios at this time, each renowned for their mastery of their respective craft.
Said to expound the strong dark features of the artist’s partner, Jacqueline Roque, this beautiful design employs a varied and experimental technique to achieve her captivating features. Picasso uses only two colors, enabling the texture and craftsmanship to remain the most vocal feature of the work, creating the additional depth which at other times may be achieved with the use of color. In these plaques, Picasso shows his versatility and his mastery of the two dimensional plane, bringing it to life beyond these parameters. These textures, including the use of engraving and the linocut style of mark-making, harp back to his cubist roots. As though elements of collage, they differ in direction and tempo to provide depth, form and movement to each plane.