FISH AND SHELLFISH

During a creative phase deeply marked by naturalism, Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro put forth a wide variety of ceramic items portraying fish and shellfish. Also a lover of good food, he frequently got together with friends for gourmet dinners at the Leão de Ouro brasserie and the Grupo dos Macavencos, at Palácio Foz, in Lisbon, or when he was in Caldas da Rainha and visited Francisco Grandela at his home in Foz do Arelho, surrounded by a beautiful marine scenery. Sardines, eels, crabs, edible crabs, bivalves, lobsters and a huge collection of other fish and shellfish “invaded” panniers, giant plates, baskets, pots and vases, decorated with nets and fishing floats, creating a richly sculptural and theatrical fishing setting, painted with incredibly accurate colours.