Bordalo Pinheiro the renowned artist of 19th century cartoonism in Portugal

Bordalo Pinheiro, the renowned artist of 19th century cartoonism in Portugal, was honored today at the inauguration of a statue, representing he and his most characteristic character, Zé Povinho, in the city of Caldas da Rainha in Portugal, UNESCO’s creative city of Crafts and Folk Arts.

The work that was idealized by the author Isabel Castanheira, designed and conceptualized by the cartoonist of the Portuguese newspaper Expresso António Antunes, and conceived by the ceramicists Carlos Constantino and José Carlos Almeida, was finally presented to the public today.

Since 2019, the city of Caldas da Rainha has been designated as a UNESCO creative city of Crafts and Folk Arts, and is increasingly a reference in the international art scene, with a growing number of resident ceramists (73 till the present), several workshops, educational and research centers, work places and exhibition events.

The history of the city of Caldas da Rainha, whose existence was determined by the construction of the oldest thermal hospital in the world in 1484, was always complemented by an effervescent cultural life, thus promoting the history of its artists, ceramists, painters, sculptors such as: Maria dos Cacos (16th century), Manuel Mafra (19th century), Bordalo Pinheiro (19th century) or Maria Keil (20th century) and Ferreira da Silva (20th century), Herculano Elias (20th century).

In this continuous dynamic of training, creation and promotion of ceramics at the International level, Caldas da Rainha was the place chosen by Bordalo Pinheiro to build his factory in 1884, having been acquired by Visabeira in 2009, and since then his international relationship with several contemporary artists has been done.

As of today, the city will have another place in honor of the master Bordalo Pinheiro, providing those who visit it, a place where visitors and tourists can interact with this work of art, that will certainly be worldly known, namely on social media networks, by sharing the pictures that show the love of this community for the artistic expertise on the work of crafts.