Ribeira Negra 1984

This large public mural, Ribeira Negra, was made of ceramic tile by the Portuguese artist Julio Resende. It depicts scenes of daily life and labour. Resende's work can be understood within the context of mid-20th century Portuguese art, which often grappled with questions of national identity and social progress. In a time when Portugal was under authoritarian rule, artists like Resende used their work to explore the lives of ordinary people. The choice of the tile as a medium is also interesting. Portugal has a rich tradition of using azulejos, or painted tiles, in both decorative and narrative ways. Resende employs this traditional medium to tell contemporary stories, thus blurring the lines between craft and fine art, and challenging conventional notions of what constitutes high culture. To understand the mural fully, we can look to social and political histories of Portugal. We might also consult local archives and oral histories to uncover the stories of the people who lived and worked in the Ribeira Negra area. Through this kind of research, we can begin to appreciate the mural not just as a work of art, but as a social document.