Ornate Building Facade in Lisbon Portugal
by Carla Parris
Title
Ornate Building Facade in Lisbon Portugal
Artist
Carla Parris
Medium
Photograph - Digital Photograph
Description
ORNATE BUILDING FACADE IN LISBON PORTUGAL is a digital photograph by Carla Parris.
One of the first things which strikes the visitor to Lisbon is the abundance of beautiful glazed tiles adorning buildings of all sorts. These azulejos, as they are called, are present on everything from churches and palaces, to residences and commercial buildings, to railway and metro stations, to park seats and fountains.
Sometimes they decorate the entire facade of a building, as in this scene, or large expanses of interior walls which would otherwise be empty flat plaster spaces.
The term "azulejos" comes from an Arabic expression meaning "polished stones." While glazed tiles are not a Portuguese invention (their use originated in Egypt), and are not unique to Portugal (they can also be seen in Italy, Spain, Turkey and Morocco), they are particularly a hallmark of Portuguese art and architecture.
By the eighteenth century, Portugal was producing more tiles, for more purposes and in more different designs, than any other European country.
In accordance with Islamic law, early Portuguese tiles did not portray human figures, but rather had ornamental geometric designs. Initially, the tiles were predominantly blue, yellow, green and white. Later, designs expanded to include animals and human figures, and in the seventeenth century, when Chinese Ming Dynasty porcelain became popular, blue and white became a favored color scheme.
One quiet Sunday morning as I was wandering the streets of Lisbon near the port and downtown areas, I happened upon this strikingly beautiful facade.
Uploaded
November 9th, 2015
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