EXPOSITION VALLAURIS PICASSO POSTER

In 1955 Pablo Picasso designed this charming and whimsical poster advertising the annual ceramics exposition in Vallauris, a town in southeastern France famous for its ceramics industry. 

The ceramic piece shown in the poster looks like a plate transformed into a smiling sun or perhaps a smiling man in the moon.  The poster’s typography and art meld together, with the word Exposition providing an "x" that makes one eye of the smiley face sparkle and with the word Vallauris containing letters that look like small people.  An abstract design, perhaps of flowers, is woven into the date, 1955, which appears at the bottom.  Picasso’s name is signed in the plate.

Picasso lived in Vallauris from 1948 to 1955 where, in addition to working in ceramics, he developed an interest in linocuts — prints made from images engraved on linoleum sheets.  He used this medium to produce posters for the annual ceramics exposition in Vallauris.

Fans of Picasso's work will love this fun poster evoking that remarkable period in Picasso's life when his focus was on designing ceramics.  

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