Pattern azulejo panel with grasshoppers

In this panel by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, each azulejo shows a grasshopper resting between two honey-coloured wheat ears, over a light green background. From a distance, however, the overall panel looks like an elegant lozenge-shaped mesh. This pattern was designed specifically for Portuguese bakeries which, at that time, played a role similar to that of modern cafés – they were meeting places where customers chatted about daily events. The azulejo patterns of Bordalo Pinheiro are always in relief, emphasising sculptural features rather than drawings. His incredible imagination was most likely influenced by his work as a ceramist. The pattern with grasshoppers was made around 1905, at the Fábrica de Faianças factory in Caldas da Rainha, where Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro was the artistic director.