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Garden Scene with a Fountain – Master P.M.P., 18th Century

Period: 18th century Dimensions: 286 x 140 cm Description:

A panel of blue-and-white Portuguese tiles, dating from the first quarter of the 18th century and attributed to Master P.M.P., one of the painters associated with the development of Baroque-style tile art during the reign of King João V. The composition depicts a scene of everyday life in an aristocratic garden, where elegantly dressed figures stand near a monumental fountain. On the right, a figure sails in a small boat, while in the background the landscape opens onto a stretch of water dotted with sailboats. Among the various elements of the composition, the presence of a peacock stands out—a bird of Asian origin already known and bred in Portugal during this period, particularly prized in aristocratic gardens for the exuberance of its plumage and the magnificence of its presence.

Executed in cobalt blue on a white background, the scene is framed by an exuberant Baroque border composed of putti, female figures, birds, plant motifs, volutes, and architecturally inspired elements. The attribution to Master P.M.P. is based on the narrative and decorative nature of the composition, the expressive rendering of the figures, and a preference for architectural and landscape settings. Active during the first quarter of the 18th century, this master—whose identity remains unknown—occupies a prominent place in the transition between the so-called Cycle of the Masters and the Great Joanine Production, a period marked by the growing monumentality and theatricality of large-scale Portuguese figurative murals.

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