Lisbon: Artful Subways

photo by A. Sousa

The big red “M” signs scattered throughout Lisbon’s riverside business district and its hilly residential suburbs signify the location of a city Metro station, but they may as well stand for “Museum.”

The city has lots of great art galleries, museums, and outdoor art exhibits, of course, but for a look at some of its most beautiful and traditional painted ceramic tiles, you need only to ride the city’s efficient subway system, known officially as Metropolitano de Lisboa.

Forty-four of the Metro’s 48 stations feature public art, sometimes a collection of wood, marble, or clay sculptures, sometimes a display of engraved stone. But, most often: large murals of colorful, glazed painted tiles, a Portuguese art form known as “azulejo.” This type of artistic expression had declined in popularity from the 19^th-century until the first half of the 20^th century but, beginning in the early 1950’s, especially with the work of Maria Keil, “azulejo” was revived. Portuguese -designed and -manufactured tile murals are again becoming a decorating trend in commercial and residential locations all over Europe, as well as parts of the U.S.

photos by Arnaldo Sousa

Maria Keil was commissioned to paint wall tiles in the Lisbon Metro from 1957 to 1982, and her work can be seen in 19 stations. As subway lines expanded, other Portuguese artists contributed their work, and for Lisbon’s World Expo in 1998, artists from ten other countries donated their art to Lisbon’s underground “art gallery.”

The entire system is small, with only 21 miles of track, but its four lines are color-coded which makes it easy for non-Portuguese speakers to get around, and to even learn — if not, pronounce! — the Portuguese words for blue (azul), yellow (amarela), green (verde), and red (vermelha). The Metro trains race under the city’s steep hills and across town in minutes, a much better alternative than the traffic clogged streets above ground. A single ticket on the Lisbon Metro costs one Euro, about $1.40.

Experiencing stunning art in the Metro stations is, as they say, priceless.

One good book: Journey to Portugal: In Pursuit of Portugal’s History and Culture

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Tags: Art, Bernthal, Europe, Portugal