The Industrial Arts in SpainRiaño, Juan F. (Juan Facundo)
History
The Industrial Arts in Spain
Riaño, Juan F. (Juan Facundo)
Decorative arts -- Spain -- History; Pottery -- Spain -- History
The Italian influence, and its finest results in Spain may be favourably
studied in Seville, in the tile decorations of the chapel at the
Alcazar, the doorway of the convent of Santa Paula, and a remarkable
sepulchre decorated with tiles at the church of St. Anne at Triana. All
these tile decorations are signed by the same person, and it would be
difficult to find any more remarkable.
The _azulejos_ at the Alcazar represent a picture in the manner and
style of Pietro Perugino; they are admirable in colour and design. Those
which decorate the sepulchre at the church of St. Anne have the
following inscription, "_Niculoso Francesco italiano me fecit, en el
agno del mil ccccciii._" Some very interesting tiles also may be seen in
one of the rooms in the lower part of the Alcazar; they are marked in
the following manner: A.V.S.T.A.--A.V.G.W.S.T.A. 1577-1578. On the floor
of the pavilion of the Emperor Charles V. in the garden there are also
some fine tiles which are signed Juan Hernandez, 1540.
We find mention in Cean Bermudez of a painter of _azulejos_ named Juan
Flores, a native of Flanders; he painted tiles for the royal palaces of
Madrid, the Pardo and Segovia; he was appointed Maestro Azulejero by
Philip II. in 1565.
Returning to other examples of earthenware we meet with the ancient
manufactures of the Balearic Islands, although it is not easy to
determine the kind of pottery which was really made there. Bernardo da
Uzzano, in 1442, made a commercial treaty, (vide Davillier, "Faïences
Hispano Moresques," p. 26), in which he mentions the "faïence" made at
Mallorca and Minorca, which "was exported to a very large extent." The
royal Ordinances for the island of Iviza, which have not been mentioned
by either of these authors, state that the principal traffic and the
greatest industry of ancient times of the island of Iviza consisted in
some vessels of the finest earthenware, well baked and curiously worked,
of which an innumerable quantity were sent off to Africa and other
places, not only on account of the excellence of their worth, which was
admirable, but the speciality of the clay, which preserved from poison.
("Reales Ordinaciones de Iviza," Palma, 1751).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account