Bordallo Pinheiro

Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro is considered one of the most influential artists of 19th century Portuguese culture. Together with his younger brother Feliciano, he founded the Caldas da Rainha ceramics factory in 1884.

The two brothers not only continued the old pottery tradition of the town, but increasingly produced pieces of greater technical, artistic and creative quality, as well as azulejos (blue tiles), panels, pots, centrepieces, vase busts, jugs, plates, vases and giant animals, etc.

Thus, in Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro's factory, hundreds of ceramic models of unprecedented creativity were created, based on local traditions, especially the ceramics of Caldas, adopting fauna and flora as decorative and main inspiration.

Mainly due to their artistic quality, the ceramic production soon became known beyond the borders, such as in Brazil and the USA and of course the rest of Europe.

 Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro will forever be closely associated with caricature and artistic ceramics, displaying quality and important pieces that have never been seen before and which, according to both renowned and modern artists, are the work of genius.