Italian influences upon Portuguese tiles

In the country of Portugal, the ornate and intricately designed tiles are integral to their culture as beautifully designed tiles are visible in every section of the country. The Portuguese tiles, popularly known as azulejos derived their name from the Arabic original az-zulavi which refers to a form of refined stone. The origin of the term must be credited to the Moors who are believed to have imported it to the Iberian Peninsula initially. However post the 15th century Portuguese tiles and their designs were suitably impacted upon by Spanish influences. These tiles or azulejos were characterized by their bright colors though in the later periods larger white and blue tiles similar to carpet designs have also been used by the Portuguese painters. It is interesting to note that these brightly colored tiles depicted simple human figures or historical incidents or geometric patterns as well.

It is important to note that while the origin of these tiles were not indigenous to the country of Portugal, apart from Spain, the styling and designing of the Portuguese tiles were also considerably influenced by the various artistic patterns as displayed in the Italian artworks. A procedure of tile production was soon developed in Italy during the 16th century which enabled the possibility of painting designs directly on the tiles. Tiles and ceramics were already a growing industry in Spain and the arrival of the Flemish ceramists in Portugal greatly enhanced the development and creation of Portuguese tiles. It was these Flemish ceramic workers who introduced the Italian concept of painting on the tiles directly and this process became widely popular in the country. Various famous Portuguese artists of the period were influenced by this technique and implemented them considerably in the production of their works. This continued throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.