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- Title
Tile making in Coimbra (1699-1801). Artificers and Artists. Chronology. Iconography.
- Authors
da Graça Gonçalves dos SANTOS, Diana Teresa Fanha
- Abstract
Coimbra's tin-glazed earthenware and tiles assumed a significant importance in the 18th century as functional and decorative products, supplying the regional markets at the Center region of Portugal and also part of the neighbor regions at the North. In those regions, tiles were recurrently elected by religious and aristocratic sponsors to improve artistically their buildings, therefore stimulating the development of that sort of production at the Coimbra's pottery workshops. At the end of 17th century, tiles started to be part of Coimbra's tin-glazed earthenware production. Its production seems to have started with the migration of some potters and bricklayers from Lisbon, who brought the experience and the technical knowledge of making tiles to the tin-glazed pottery workshops of the mentioned city, therefore enlarging its commercial offer. The lack of a previous experience from the majority of the local potters and the overlap of tin-glazed earthenware and tile production, originated some contaminations in what concerns the painted decorative elements and technical appliance of colour glazes, mainly in its early period. As a consequence of the proximity to the faience painting way of treatment, it seems that considering the evident similarities observed on tiles and crockery made in Coimbra at the same time period, it was the crockery painter the one who assumed entirely the tiles painting. At the 1st quarter of 18th century the new dynamic of figurative tiles production, which a vaster clientele put pressure on pottery workshops to bring out, required that painters with a previous experience in the field of ornamental arts (like brutesque ceilings painting or gilded-wood) joined the universe of potteries, fitting its painting skills to the requirements of faience painting techniques. Answering the market supplies that appeared on the regional dimension, tile production at Coimbra during the 1st half of 18th century evolved to a more organized strategy, requiring a more specialised service, considering the requests of a better painting quality and the needs of intricate and wider iconographic programs. Consequently, the tile painter appears as an essential figure being one point of the triangular collaboration with the master potter and the master bricklayer, assuming at Coimbra's case (like Lisbon) the necessity of an ornamental art practice and a modern aesthetic knowledge. The evolution of this strategy culminates with a refined production at the 2nd half of 18th century, allying the tin-glazed earthenware production improved technologies to a higher specialization of tile painting, conducting to a higher quality and perfection of the final product and never forgetting to keep up aesthetic taste changes. The research made at the historic archive of Coimbra's University brought to light the names of the numerous actors, collected in notarial files, mostly associated with pottery workshops sale and rent contracts. The names gathered in previous studies about Coimbra ceramics were confirmed and new ones were revealed. A new contribution about the location of tin-glazed earthenware workshops related with Coimbra's production in the 18th century is also given, in a more detailed vision. Like other well- known European ceramic centres, following the traditional social order of Late Medieval and Early Modern times of the artisan type regime, Coimbra's pottery workshops business were organized around close family connections, where artisans passed on their trade to their many sons or relatives in a successive exchange of experiences produced on a context of family affiliations. Taking this into account, we tried to achieve the knowledge of the importance of tile manufacture at Coimbra in 18th century, and the role of its main actors. Attempting to reach the large area of influence of this specific production, the results of an accurate inventory made about in situ tiles allowed the documentation of works of named and unnamed authors associated with Coimbra tin-glazed earthenware workshops, and the constitution of an iconographic repertoire. Following this, we offer a portrait of Coimbra tiles production, approaching material and technical issues, typology classification and also the print assimilation process by the leading tile painters based on existing samples.
- Subjects
PORTUGUESE pottery; AZULEJOS (Ceramic tiles); BRICKLAYERS
- Publication
E-Journal of Portuguese History, 2019, Vol 17, Issue 2, p604
- ISSN
1645-6432
- Publication type
Abstract