Portuguese tile in the 20th century

The term azulejos is used to define the exquisite and ornate tiles that adorn almost every nook and corner of Portugal. The origin of this term can be traced to the Arabic az-zulavi which refers to a kind of polished stone. However it is to be noted that the origin of these tiles cannot be attributed to the Portuguese and it was the Egyptians who for the first time had made use of these polished stones. The azulejos of Portugal are brightly colored and are used to decorate walls of houses and buildings and churches and roadside pavements and they also serve as street signs or name plates. The Portuguese tiles have their unique characteristics and they display teachings of god, humans and animals and also different patterns of geometrical designs. After the earthquake of 1755, the use of Portuguese tiles became even more prevalent owing to the discovery that these tiles were extremely well-suited to protect against dampness and dust and could withstand extreme weather conditions.

The development graph and the evolution of the Portuguese tiles or azulejos show that they were impacted by various foreign influences especially form other European nations like those of Spain and Italy. Initially the azulejos or tiles were meant to serve as a form of decoration which displayed various artworks projecting historical incidents of the past and other geometric patterns. But in the 19th century the emergence of the new bourgeoisie resulted in the massive production of tiles which were used to decorate households as well and this practice continues even today. It has been noted that in the 20th century, especially after the 1950s, the Portuguese tiles gained enough opportunities for being displayed publicly with the growth of various locations of public gathering. The painted tiles or azulejos emerged as the main form of decoration which was to be used in these places and it once again brought back the focus on the tile painters.