AZULEJOS
Extremely popular blue and white Delft tiles were used extensively in Portugese architectural decoration in the later 17th century. Two large Amsterdam tile workshops dedicated solely to the Portugese trade became rich supplying wealthy aristocratic and ecclesiastical clients in Lisbon and Oporto with Delft tiles, called azulejos in Portugese.
When Pedro II banned the importation of Dutch tiles from 1687 to 1698 to avenge Dutch raids on the Portugese colonies in Brazil, enterprising Spanish and Portugese artists began producing azulejos domestically. By the turn of the century, an indigenous school of academically-trained tile painters was producing monumental ensembles with complex iconographic programs for churches and palaces in Portugal and in Brazil. The 18th century is considered the golden age of azulejos.
As unexpected as the artform may be, glazed tiles were singularly well-suited for the decoration of façades and exterior walls, in that they are durable, completely weather resistant, serve as insulation against the hot sun, and allow for a high degree of pictorial detail.