Vallauris, Picasso, Picault and pottery

Golfe Juane Vallauris pottery village France

Vallauris is a stunning coastal village on the Cote D'Azur. It's name is synonymous with pottery and Picasso. 

Picasso

Soon after the war ended Picasso moved to Vallauris - his artistic influence on the village can still be felt today.

Picasso Vallauris pottery sculpture 1950's France
Picasso working in Vallauris in the early 1950's

 

He created over 4,000 works of pottery while working closely with his friend Robert Picault (1919-2000) in this idyllic coastal town. 

Picasso ceramic plate Vallauris fish and hand

A plate by Picasso made in Vallauris

Each July there is a festival in the village to celebrate Picasso and the artistic impact he made on the region. 

Our Picault Collection

Roger Picault Collection

See the Chez Pluie collection of original Picault pieces here.

The book - Picasso/Picault, Picault/Picasso

Picasso Picault pottery Vallauris

For a deeper insight into the friendship between Robert Picault and Pablo Picasso, there is a recent publication by author Sylvie Vautier, Picasso/Picault, Picault/Picasso - A Magic Moment in Vallauris 1948-1953. 

Picasso Picault book

"Picasso / Picault, Picault / Picasso: A Magic Moment in Vallauris 1948-1953 is an intimate look at the friendship between ceramicist Robert Picault and Pablo Picasso. Following the war, in an effort to leave a wrecked Paris, a group of artists, including Picasso, went to the coastal town of Vallauris. There he met Picault and the two formed a lasting friendship while collaborating artistically for several years. Examining Picault’s pottery and production as well as the short films Picasso made and Picault photographed through unpublished documents and photographs – the book shows this idyllic moment." Pointed Leaf Press

There is also a feature in the April / May 2017 issue of Côté Sud.

Picasso Picault Vallauris Cote Sud article

Cote Sud April May 2017 Picasso Picault Vallauris pottery

Pottery

Large clay deposits have made Vallauris famous for pottery since the Gallo-Roman times.

There was a revival of decorative pottery in the 1940's with numerous key creators - the Massier family, Roger Capron, Robert Picault and of course Picasso who, inspired by the turqouise of the Mediterranean created beautiful ceramic pieces.

Robert Picault Vallauris pottery vase zig zag

One of our Robert Picault vases from the 1950's

Vallauris Massier pottery green vintage French

One of our Vallauris bowls

We source original pottery by Massier and Robert Picault.

Our local artisan Julie Armanville JDA studied under Roger Capron and we have many of her characterful sculptures in our collection. 

French sculpture Vallauris artisan French farmhouse decor

“Monsieur agriculteur” by JDA

Explore our full collection of vintage pottery and works by JDA.

Image credit: Vallauris Golfe-Juan, Pinterest, Chez Pluie

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1 comment

I have 3 pieces of your pottery.
They are soup bowls and signed
I would like more information on them.
They are lovely
Thank you
Cheyrl

Cheyrl Etheridge November 04, 2019

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