During what became known as the Cycle of the Masters (1690-1725), the workshops tried to satisfy a more demanding clientele by producing figurative compositions characterised by a greater freedom in the use of engravings and by the creativity shown in adapting the panels to the areas to be clad. The azulejo painter, then, acquired the statute of an artist and often signed his panels, one of the figures in this period is Manuel dos Santos (active between 1706 and 1723). Having raised the number of commissions made in the second half of the 17th century, the nobility was largely responsible for the production of azulejos with profane themes to decorate palatial quarters.