What is a tile? The history of the azulejo in Portugal

The Origin of Tiles in Portugal

Azulejo is the Portuguese word for a square ceramic tile with one side decorated and glazed. Its use is common in other countries such as Spain, Italy, Holland, Turkey and Morocco, however in Portugal it is a unique case due to its full intersection in the dialogue between architecture and decoration. It appeared more than five hundred years ago, influenced by the oriental culture that decorated the walls of palaces and sacred spaces with mosaics. At the end of the 15th century, ornamentation began with the first examples from Seville, on the walls of court and clergy spaces in Portugal. In 1560, the first pottery workshop appeared in Lisbon, thus starting the history of Portuguese tiles.

The Case of Portuguese Tiles

This is a technique that evolves with the times, needs and artistic movements, constantly establishing an intersection with other arts. Depending on the location, the themes chosen varied, the main ones being historical, religious, mythological episodes and sometimes everyday scenes and military campaigns. With the Renaissance, the quality and quantity of production increased and artists began to assert themselves as such, starting to sign their works, both in painting and in the decorative arts. Already in the Baroque era, in the reign of D. João V (1706-1750), the tiles were involved with carving, in order to completely cover a surface. In the 18th century, with the wide opening of markets in the East and exploration in Africa and America, the European bourgeoisie managed to own precious goods and decorate their homes according to the style of the time. Thus, the tile previously exclusive to the wealthy classes began to cover bourgeois houses and gardens.

After the 1755 earthquake, the need to rebuild Lisbon imposed a new pace on the production of patterned tiles. In this way, industrial and craft techniques were applied to decorate the new buildings, in a kind of horror of emptiness. Also in the Portuguese colonies, such as Brazil, the art of tile work was used on the facades of buildings. In the second half of the 19th century, standard tiles, at a lower cost, became a fundamental element in Portuguese facades, giving an urban identity from north to south of Portugal.

tiles of Júlio Pomar It is Siza Vieira 

The Turn from Modern to Contemporary Art

Among the various aspects that characterize Portuguese artistic culture, the tile has assumed a prominent role as one of the arts that best identifies the Portuguese heritage. At the turn of the 19th century to the 20th century, Bordalo Pinheiro produced Art Nouveau tiles at the Fábrica de Faianças in Caldas da Rainha, and in 1937, Paolo Ferreira presented a panel consisting of tiles integrated into modern architecture, at the Pavilhão de Portugal at the International Exhibition from Paris. However, the great revitalization of tiles at this time came with Jorge Barradas, who modernized their architectural application, thus inspiring young post-war artists.

In the second part of the 20th century, artists such as Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, Júlio Pomar, Manuel Cargaleiro, Sá Nogueira It is Eduardo Nery were invited to cover the walls of the new stations in the Metropolitano de Lisboa with tiles. Later, with the opening of new branches, new works were commissioned from artists such as Júlio Resende, Cherubim Lapa, Menez, Cecilia de Sousa, Martins Correia, Joaquim Rodrigo, Jorge Martins, Costa Pinheiro, Graça Pereira Coutinho, Zao-Wo-Ki, Sean Scully and Hundertwasser.At Expo 98, artists like Pedro Cabrita Reis, Pedro Casqueiro, lda David and Fernanda Fragateiro recovered the tradition of ceramic coating in their works. In recent decades, numbered editions of individual tiles, designed by artists and reproduced in factories, have been quite successful. Examples are the productions created at the factory Viúva Lamego and Ratton Cerâmicas, Mermaid drowning a girl in Paula Rego, Drawings of Júlio Pomar and the architect Siza Vieira, among other artists.

Mermaid drowning a girl in Paula Rego

The Tile Tradition

Over more than five centuries, tile has been a continuous and diverse technique applied in architecture in different ways, adapting to the requirements of each era. Its uniqueness is evident compared to tiles from other countries, being a national phenomenon that helps build the country's collective memory even unconsciously. Contemporary artists have applied the tile tradition, in order to value and preserve it, as well as offering a new conceptual and aesthetic reading of this ancestral technique. These square plates that are found in most Portuguese buildings tell the story of ceramics in this country, thus assuming its great role in artistic creation. In conclusion, the azulejo, whether due to the longevity of its use or the mode of application inside and outside, has become the main protagonist of the identity of Portuguese architecture.