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THE PIONEERS OF BLUE
25/09/2026
NEW CONTRIBUTION
An encounter that begins in Arab hands
A new contribution by Hans van Lemmen to the ongoing research surrounding O Gringo's Azulejo project
The story begins before Francisco Niculoso.
Tile historian and author Hans van Lemmen takes us back to Paterna and Manises, where Moorish potters played a pioneering role in the development of blue-and-white tiles in Europe.
This contribution opens another chapter in the research accompanying O Gringo's work, connecting centuries of movement, transformation and cultural encounters with a contemporary artistic vision.
A note from O Gringo
My work has led me to look beyond the surface of the azulejo — to understand its movements, transformations and connections across cultures and centuries.
I am therefore very pleased to share this contribution by tile historian and author Hans van Lemmen, exploring the pioneers of blue-and-white tiles in Europe and the extraordinary story of Paterna and Manises.
Hans's contribution takes us back to a chapter that precedes Francisco Niculoso and reveals how the history of blue-and-white tiles in Europe began through encounters between cultures, techniques and territories.
Understanding where a visual language has travelled helps us imagine where it can go next.
O Gringo
The pioneers of blue-and-white tiles in Europe
By Hans van Lemmen
The Moorish potters of Paterna and Manises, near Valencia in Spain, were the pioneers of blue-and-white tiles and pottery in Europe. It started in the 14th century and reached its height in the 15th century. It became famous throughout Europe, where it is known as Hispano-Moresque ceramics.
The blue-and-white tin-glazed tiles and pottery made by Moorish potters were not produced in the way that is now normally associated with tin-glaze painting — for example, painting on top of the unfired white glaze, as can be seen in the production of Italian maiolica tiles, Portuguese azulejos and Dutch Delftware tiles.
The potters of Paterna and Manises painted their cobalt-blue decorations directly onto tiles of unfired clay. The tiles were then fired, covered with a layer of white tin glaze and fired again. During the second firing, the blue decoration would work its way through the tin glaze from below and become clearly visible on the white glazed surface.
Blue-and-white tiles made in Manises and Paterna were mainly used on floors as insets amongst unglazed terracotta tiles. They were also used as ceiling tiles in the homes and castles of the Spanish elite.
The decorations on Hispano-Moresque tiles are varied. Many designs show floral motifs and geometric interlacing patterns. They can also carry religious inscriptions, sometimes written in Arabic in acknowledgement of the Islamic past, or display the heraldic designs of wealthy Spanish families.
Spanish Hispano-Moresque tiles therefore occupy a very special place in the journey of blue-and-white tiles and had a significant influence on later developments in tile making in countries such as Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands.
Hans van Lemmen
Tile historian and author of 5000 Years of Tiles
British Museum Press, 2013
15th-century Hispano-Moresque tiles — Museo del Azulejo, Onda, Spain.
Image provided by Hans van Lemmen. Collection: Museo del Azulejo Manolo Safont, Onda, Castellón, Spain.
About Hans van Lemmen
Hans van Lemmen is a tile historian, author and lecturer specialising in the history of tiles and architectural ceramics.
He is President and Honorary Life Member of the Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society — TACS. His research covers medieval tiles, Delftware, Victorian tiles, architectural ceramics, Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
His publications include Tiles in Architecture, Delftware Tiles, Medieval Tiles, Art Nouveau Tiles, Art Deco Tiles and 5000 Years of Tiles, published by British Museum Press in 2013.
Discover more:
Hans van Lemmen — Historical Tiles
Editorial note on O Gringo's artistic practice:
Historical research is an essential part of O Gringo's artistic practice, but his work does not seek to function as a historical reconstruction.
Within his contemporary narrative, O Gringo remains free to bring together different styles, music, parallel moments, present realities and imagined futures.
History becomes a point of departure for artistic invention a source of knowledge, dialogue and transformation, rather than a boundary placed upon the creative imagination.
About the Author
Founder & CEO – Paris 75 Image, Lda.
Founder – La Smart Galerie
International Cultural Producer • Art Director • International Art Consultant
Specialized in international cultural projects, museum exhibitions, institutional partnerships and the global promotion of contemporary art.
Lisbon • Paris