Lisbon - Museu Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro

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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.