Origins and Evolution from Mudejar and Renaissance Styles to the Spanish Contemporary Ceramic Industry
Garcia-Templado, G. Alejandra. Astrolabe Vol. 1, Issue 1, 2014
Ceramics and tile-work across the Iberian Peninsula have played a key and distinctive role in architectural decoration and in the quality of spatial interiors since Roman and Visigoth times. This paper considers the style and technical evolution of tile-work as a decorative art in buildings and architectural spaces in Al-Andalus in Spain during the period of Islamic rule from the 8th to the 15th centuries. It thus addresses the foundations from which this form of decoration developed a significant and distinctive influence over the following centuries. The study mentions the peculiar evolution of the Islamic artwork during the Renaissance period, highlighting how certain influences led to exotic styles such as the “mudejar”. The final section of this paper outlines the use of decorative tiles through illustrative examples from the 19th and 20th centuries in Spain and refers to current trends in the industry and in contemporary design.
Keywords: Tile-work; ceramics; interior design; Al-Andalus, Islamic, architecture, Nasrid, cuerda seca.