Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro

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.