The masters of the art of the azulejos
Azulejo first arrived in Spain when the Moors began invading the Iberian Peninsula. Appearing as early as the 13th century, it really developed in the 15th century with what is known as the Hispano-Moorish style, using repeating geometric motifs. Azulejo emerged in Portugal at the end of the 15th century, thanks to King D. Manuel I who, after a visit to Seville, decided to decorate the walls of his palace in Sintra. The Portuguese fell under the spell of this art form, which was to cover the walls of homes of all social classes. Such was its importance that it followed every fashion and aesthetic trend, gradually abandoning geometric motifs for figurative frescoes.
Several techniques followed one another. At first, cloisonné(corda seca) was used, which consisted in separating areas of color on earthenware with a special mixture that, after firing, remained as a thin black line. The clay is then used to prevent the colors from mixing. This technique is called estampé or aresta in Portuguese, as it leaves a small edge at the clay line. When the majolica technique appeared, it revolutionized the world of azulejo. Thanks to a two-firing process, tiles could now be painted as if they were paintings, with gradations and shades of color. Portugal began to produce its own azulejos, adopting motifs from the grotesque or inspired by designs found in Roman ruins (vases, flowers, fruit, shells, human figures...). Azulejos thus became witnesses to life at the time, depicting religious scenes or everyday life. The nobility, tired of religious frescoes, began commissioning hunting scenes, a popular 17th-century motif. Another trend was Delft blue tiles, imported from the Netherlands. In the 17th century, the Netherlands had expert painters using the famous blue paint, inspired by the Asian colonies. This led to the creation of large panels featuring fabric motifs from China and India. Art was at its peak. Church walls all over the country were covered in white and blue, and painters became famous and signed their works. During this period, Baroque and Rococo styles were reflected in frescoes, with multiple ornaments and tangled festoons..
After the earthquake of 1755, azulejos were used in construction. It was the Marquis de Pombal who initiated this movement, putting them on building facades for their insulating properties. Then came the "welcoming figures", a great originality made in Portugal: figures (valets, soldiers, ladies...) greeting people as they arrive or leave. Geometrical motifs made a comeback, so that large quantities could be produced quickly to speed up the reconstruction of Lisbon. The shift was from handicraft to industrialization. Lisbon factories like Rato's were put to work.
Most remarkable examples of early azulejos can be found in the Lisbon region. The National Azulejo Museum boasts an impressive collection from all periods. Located in a former convent, the walls of the church are entirely covered with white and blue azulejos from Holland. Also worth a visit is the Palais Fronteira, with its Battle Hall recounting the exploits of its warriors against the Spaniards. In its garden, you can admire azulejos of different styles and periods: a veritable digest of the artistic currents in vogue. At the Palais Royal de Queluz, you'll find the famous azulejo canal built in 1775. The National Palace in Sintra boasts Europe's largest collection of Hispano-Moorish azulejos, imported from Seville.
An age-old art that knows how to follow trends
In the 19th century, the art of azulejo continued to flourish. New factories sprang up all over Portugal, in Lisbon as well as in the north of the country. Far from being classified as an art of centuries gone by, azulejo is still very much alive! It continues to adorn the facades of Lisbon's buildings, but also to inspire artists. Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, with his Calda da Rainha earthenware factory, began producing Art Nouveau-inspired azulejos. In 1937, Paolo Ferreira presented the "Lisbon of a Thousand Colors" panel at the Paris International Exhibition. A few years later, artist Maria Keil and her husband decided to take over the metro. By 1959, they were decorating the first 11 stations (with the exception of Avenida), using a cost-cutting trick: creating an abstract design that could be combined in different ways. This initiative was repeated with the2nd phase of metro construction in 1988, and artists such as Manuel Cargaleiro, Vieira da Silva, Federica Matta and Júlio Pomar left their mark. At the airport, you'll be greeted by drawings by António Antunes. In 2014, this illustrator featured characters emblematic of Portuguese culture, such as fado singer Amália Rodrigues, footballer Eusébio and poet Fernando Pessoa.
But it's not just between four walls that you can admire works by contemporary artists, and there are many frescoes in Lisbon itself. If you head to Feira da Ladra, you can admire André Saraiva's work (completed in 2016), which is over 198 m long! Portuguese-born street artist Add Fuel (real name Diogo Machado), whose work is based on azulejos, but using motifs invented by himself, has also been asked to decorate part of the "azulejo route" along the avenida Infante Santo. He joins Maria Keil (1959), Carlos Botelho (1959), Júlio Pomar and Alice Jorge (1959), Sá Nogueira (1959) and Eduardo Nery (1994 and 2001).
Many foreign artists come to Portugal to train in this technique, and you can discover their work in their studio-boutiques or in decoration stores (such as Alegria in Sintra or Surrealejos in the Castle district). Beware of antique azulejos, which have often been "taken", not to say stolen, from the façades of old buildings. Don't believe the sellers on Feira da Ladra if they tell you they've come from houses undergoing renovation. This is not necessarily true.
