Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro (Lisbon, 1846 -1905) was one of the most noteworthy and most adaptable Portuguese artists of the 19th century. His visionary legacy in several different artistic domains carries on even into the present day. He was a sketch artist, a watercolour painter, illustrator, decorator, caricaturist, journalist and potter. His name is closely associated with Portuguese caricature, which he boosted in terms of quality, bringing it to a status that had previously never been reached. He is the author of the figure “Zé Povinho” (Commonfolk Joe), which continues to stand as a symbol for the Portuguese people. The ceramic work of Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro began with the founding of the Fundação das Faianças Artísticas Bordallo Pinheiro (1884), in Caldas da Rainha (central Portugal). Drawing from the naturalist roots of pottery in Caldas da Rainha, Bordallo Pinheiro reimagined it and brought it up to date, producing hundreds of highly imaginative and technically sophisticated models, which are still on the national and international markets up through today.
The sardine, with its silvery blue and black hues, darker on the back and lighter on the sides and belly, is found in the northeast Atlantic and the
Mediterranean Sea, where it dwells on coastal areas, between 25 and 100 meters deep.
It undertakes migrations in large shoals that protect fish
from predators during the day, in deeper waters, and move at night-time to shallower waters
to feed on algae and small crustaceans.
It reproduces from October to April, a time when sardines
are leaner and not so tasty.
The sardine is the most popular fish in summer festivals and fairs in Portugal, as well as the main species used in the
Portuguese canning industry.
“O Grande Cão da Finança” (the Big Dog of Finance) was on the cover of the magazine “A Paródia “, in 1900, and it caricatures the finances wearing the collar of the deficit. “No matter how many cakes they gave it; the damn dog won’t die!”. It is the result of the despair that Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro begins to feel in the face of political manipulation and opportunism, raising the awareness of the society at the time. Never goes out of style.
Designer: Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro
Virgínia lived happily, practicing taking bigger and bigger jumps in the lake
of the factory’s garden. Sometimes she ventured to the giant lake in the nearby
D. Carlos I Park. The Master liked the sound of her croaking so much that he
identified her as the character from Aesop’s fable. He identified her companion,
Paulo, and materialized them in ceramics in a giant sculptural group.
Designer: Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro
Pili was Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro’s cat, who like her companion Pires, used to live in the old factory grounds. An enchanting place in Caldas da Rainha. She lived happily with the affection of Master Bordallo, amidst gardens decorated with tiles and other faïences.
Virgínia vivia feliz, treinando saltos cada vez maiores no lago do jardim da Fábrica. Por vezes aventurava-se e ia para o lago gigante do Parque D. Carlos I, que ficava perto. O Mestre gostava tanto de trabalhar ao som do seu coaxar, que a identificou como a personagem da fábula de Esopo. Identificou-lhe o companheiro, o Paulo, e materializou-os em cerâmica num grupo escultórico gigante.
Designer: Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro