Utilizing clean-cut lines and strong color contrasts, Picasso depicts the profile of a goat. Picasso utilizes crisp, white and black lines to delineate the profile of the goat's head and to add a sense of texture to the piece, conveying the feel of the goat's fur and horns. These lines contrast sharply against the orange background, causing the image of the goat to stand out to the viewer. The goat appears as a delicate figure with a thin neck and elongated face, gazing wisely out at the viewer.
The goat is a re-occurring subject in Picasso's works. As Georges Ramie discusses "there was above all, a very extensive thematic development of bucolic variations: Virgilian countryside's, mythological scenes amid rocks, evocations of Parnassus, piping shepherds and capering goats…A whole episode, in short, devoted to the pastoral serenity of the Aegean, to the incomparable simplicity of a carefree world, steeped in legends of Attic grace and full of the joy of life" (p.168).
Created in 1952, this oblong plate was created with white earthenware clay with decoration in engobes under partial brushed glaze. From an edition of 250, this work is stamped 'Edition Picasso' and 'Empreinte Originale de Picasso' on the reverse side of the work.
