Round plate with lobster

Fabrica de Faianças das Caldas da Rainha|Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro

1889 · Glazed earthenware · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro began his career as a political cartoonist, publishing O calcanhar de Aquiles, the first satirical cartoon pamphlet in Portugal and enjoying a successful career in Rio de Janeiro before establishing a ceramics factory with his brother in 1884 in Caldas da Rainha. Pinheiro’s quirky sense of humor and strong grasp of composition can be found in his Palissy-inspired ceramics, such as this lobster on a plate, which seems to herald the surreal works of Salvador Dalí.

Artist

Fabrica de Faianças das Caldas da Rainha|Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro

Date

1889

Medium

Glazed earthenware

Culture

Portugal, Caldas de Rainha

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Wallis Katz, in memory of Marshall Katz, and in celebration of the Museum's 150th anniversary, 2020