Taureau (A.R. 255)

This beautiful Taureau pitcher pulsates with the energy and originality of the artist’s hand, channelled into the lively bull motif and the artist’s radicalising use of the ceramic medium. A leitmotif in Picasso’s oeuvre, the fierce, virile bull imagery of Taureau serves as a self-portrait for the artist whilst also alluding to his wider interest in bull fighting.

Picasso’s instantly recognisable modernist style is revealed in the combination of curvilinear forms throughout the composition, ranging from the suggestive white mark-making of the bull’s face and striking sharpness of its white horns to the undulating forms of the animal’s silhouette discovered around the curved surface of the jar. Picasso reimagines the possibilities of the ceramic surface through varying textures; the artist has etched through the black engobe to reveal the highlights of the white beneath and the animal’s traits such as the wispy hairs on its forehead or its sharp horns.

The monochromatic black and white earthenware is contrasted with bright flecks of mustard yellow and turquoise blues which adorn the animal’s back. The continued yellow brushstrokes along the base of the vase recall the sandy ground of the bull ring, often flicked up from the sheer speed and ferocity of this bull. Lunging towards us, the bull seemingly transcends the limits of the vase itself through the power of its arresting gaze, lowered head and raised front legs. Its tail playfully continues up the handle of the piece, experimenting with the pitcher’s captivating shape.