Description:

Pablo Picasso
Vallauris, France, August 1, 1953
Pablo Picasso ALS: "I am not a professional ceramicist, I believe, but rather a secondary ceramicist"
ALS

A 1p autograph letter in French signed by Spanish Modern artist Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) as "Picasso" at bottom. August 1, 1953. Vallauris, France. Inscribed in pencil on a leaf of blue-lined graph paper. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds and a few extra wrinkles. A minor closed tear extends along the horizontal fold by about .5" on the right side but does not affect any of the text. Isolated scattered pin holes. Else near fine and very legible. 5.25" x 8.25." Accompanied by an Auction Certificate from RR Auctions (Amherst, New Hampshire).

Picasso addressed this letter to Max Pellequer (before 1903 - after 1973), a close friend who has been called the artist's "finance minister" by one art historian. It is a testament to Picasso's intimacy with Pellequer (the two were friends between 1914 and the early 1970s) that the artist penned an entire autograph letter signed to him instead of relegating this task to Jaime Sabartés, Picasso's private secretary and later biographer. Overall, autograph letters signed by Picasso of any length or content are extremely rare because Picasso was often too busy or too bored to be bothered with correspondence.

Please see below for the transcript in French and the English translation, with unchanged spelling and punctuation:

Transcribed in full:

"Vallauris le 1er Août 1953

Mon cher Pellequer

Je vous envoie un papier des contributions - Regardez le - je ne suis pas ceramiste professionnel je crois mais peutetre ceramiste secondaire Allors? que vous me disez ce qu'il faut repondre.

Je travaille je vais au bain et je travaille et je travaille

Bien des bons souvenirs pour Madame et bien à vous

Picasso."

Translated in full:

"Vallauris 1st August 1953

My dear Pellequer

I am sending you a paper of contributions - Look at it - I am not a professional ceramicist I believe but rather a secondary ceramicist Well? Tell me how I must respond.

I work I go bathing and I work and I work

Best regards for Madame and best wishes to you

Picasso."

*Translator's note: Regarding the use of the word "peut-être" on line 7: although technically "peut-être" means "maybe" or "perhaps," the word "rather" was substituted in the translation to better convey the contrast which Picasso was making between professional ceramicists and ceramicists like himself.

Picasso lived in Vallauris, located less than 3 km northwest of Golfe-Juan along the French Riviera, between 1948-1955. While there, the artist worked energetically in multiple media, including painting, print-making, ceramics, and sculpture. At a local art festival in July 1946, Picasso had met professionally trained ceramicist Suzanne Ramié (1905-1974) and her husband Georges, who had operated the Madoura Pottery studio in Vallauris since 1938. The couple encouraged Picasso to try his hand at pottery, and Picasso soon became engrossed in this new and exciting art form. The Ramiés provided Picasso with studio space after 1947 and Suzanne taught Picasso artist's techniques related to modeling, firing, and decoration with enamel and glazes.

We do not interpret Picasso's statement that he was a "secondary ceramicist" in any way as self-deprecating. Instead, we read it at face value: that Picasso was primarily a painter and draftsman, then a ceramicist. Picasso's self-assessment was both honest and accurate. While he was certainly more comfortable painting and drawing, though, he was not the less skilled or inventive in creating other art forms; there was still probably abundant ego there.

Picasso viewed his ceramics in a vastly different way than other artists. Picasso wanted his ceramics to be used, not idolized. He experimented shaping pitchers, plates, and bowls, telling French writer André Malraux: "I made the plates to be eaten off of." Nor did Picasso intend that his work all be unique. During his association with the Madoura Pottery studio, he produced limited editions (ranging from 25-500 pieces each) of 633 individual pieces, all bearing the Madoura stamp. While at Madoura Pottery studio, ca. 1946-1971, Picasso produced an estimated 4,000 original works. Some of these dishes, plaques, vases, and figural sculptures depicting women, bulls, goats, owls, and fish can be found in museums or private collections.

Much of Picasso's correspondence with Pellequer includes financial content like this one, discussing Picasso's tax assessments and tax payments, his contributions to benefit funds, his insurance payments, and his residency status. Personal remarks that Picasso makes in these letters relate to his family, acquaintances, and current artistic projects.

Max Pellequer was a French banker who co-founded and later directed the Banque Nationale du Commerce et de l'Industrie. Over several decades, Pellequer's astute financial advice and shrewd stewardship of Picasso's sprawling assets enabled the artist to become a millionaire. Pellequer was also a kindred spirit, a serious art collector who acquired artwork by artists like Picasso, Degas, Cézanne, Gauguin, Matisse, Miró, Modigliani, Dufy, and others. Picasso purchased works from Pellequer's collection, and the artist designed a bookplate for his beloved friend. During the Nazi occupation of France, Pellequer is believed to have helped save some of Picasso's work by hiding it. This is no small accomplishment when one considers it would have probably been classified as "degenerate" by the Nazis and otherwise destroyed.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 5.25" x 8.25"
  • Artist Name: Pablo Picasso
  • Medium: ALS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

July 16, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000