The many questions raised by the 16th century Sevillian azulejos in Igreja de São Roque in Lisbon

Abstract

There are, in the interior of Igreja de São Roque (St. Roch Church), in Lisbon, linings of azulejos attributed to the productions of Seville. They form two very distinct groups of panels: one, with tiles painted over a yellow background, is in the nave, near the entrance to the church; while a second group, with tiles painted over a white background, is set in the transept, against a lining of punta de clavo patterned tiles. In this paper, the authors identify the sets that make up each group, point to their peculiarities, present the results of an analytical study and discuss their possible common provenance and chronology. It is also wondered: why buy from Seville what could be acquired in Lisbon?