Lisbon - Museu Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro

At the northern end of the Campo Grande two interesting museums stand opposite each other: the Museu da Cidade and the museum dedicated to the artist Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (1846-1905). Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro came from an artistic family; his younger brother Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, who for a time led the group of artists "O Grupo do Leao", which was famous in Portugal, also became well known. At first Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro mainly drew caricatures. He lived and worked for some time in Brazil. After his return to Portugal he began to work with ceramics in his mid-thirties.

The museum is located in a lovely old villa dating from 1912. It contains predominantly ceramics, which clearly demonstrate the caricatural bent of the artist. Figures or faces are portrayed in the form of vases, cups or teapots, with the nose or a cigar serving as a spout, etc. The rest of his everyday pottery, plates, bowls, terrines, is remarkable for its unusual ideas. One service is painted with the motif of the Torre de Belém. Much of the work alludes to Portugal's history, the differing art styles of the country are, in part, mixed indiscriminately. Pinheiro's Art Nouveau bowls and tiles, decorated with the reliefs of plants and animals, are very lovely. Some pieces of faience, more than 2m/6.5ft tall, were produced in his factory in Caldas da Rainha north of Lisbon. His figure of "Zé Povinho", a caricature of the typically small Portuguese man, has gained great popularity. Various models of the "Zé Povinho" can also be seen in the museum. A portrait painted by his brother shows Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro at the age of 45.