The Bent Page

The name of this post should really be Spanish Tile, Part 1. There are so many fantastic examples of Spanish tile both in Spain and around the world that someone could easily earn a doctorate in the subject. I pulled a few examples from my photos taken within the country, basically representative examples of a few of the most traditional forms. Let’s start with this one, the mural at a restaurant.

I like the picture of the travelers on the little coach with the two guys following. Just out of the frame is another explanation about the place, in case the image doesn’t do the job. Murals like this are all over Spain. They liven up the street without the garishness of neon signs. Let’s take a look at another one.

Here you have a much more impressionistic piece of tile work. The glamour lady invites you in from the street. Subtle. Nice. And not bad advertising either. A more traditional front might look like the following:

The place above is looking a little worse for the wear. A few tiles are missing but the name lives on above the door. The monochrome scheme works well, though, and I would venture to say the person who created those tiles did quite a bit of work back in the day.

To my surprise, I found numerous Irish Pubs in Spain. This place, La Fontanilla, may use the term “taberna” but they aren’t shy about announcing the fact that Guinness is served inside. The fountain mural on the left is quite clear as to meaning. The woman on the right, is a bit confusing to me. Are they suggesting there are rooms to rent for weary women travelers? I’m not sure. Sometimes, you’ll see famous works of art recreated in tiles like this. I’ve seen works by el Greco, Picasso, and others recreated in tile and mounted on the outside of buildings in various places around Spain.

This is one of the great things about visiting Spain. There are millions of little discoveries like this, things that make the country eternally interesting and beautiful.