Adams Important Irish Art 2nd December 2015 : You can Download a PDF Version from the Bottom Menu Down Arrow Icon

View of a Girl Through a Curtain

Pottery charger, 40cm (15¾”)

Signed and dated (19)’80 verso

Patrick Swift had been living with his wife Oonagh and three daughters, Katherine, Estella and Juliette in London for a number of years before em-

igrating to Portugal in 1962. Originally intended as an extended visit, they remained living in the Algarve and in 1968, with the help of Portuguese

artist Lima de Freitas, established “Porches Pottery” in the town of Porches near Lagoa. From the beginning, the emphasis in their designs was to

be on ‘free painting within the established style’, merging an original unaffected form of design with traditional patterns and techniques. Portu-

guese “azulejos” (typical local tin-glazed ceramic tile-work crafted in the traditional manner known as “majolica”) were revived. Using this method,

Swift created exquisite tile murals, notably that in the Café Bar Bacchus adjoining the pottery. He also fashioned earthenware chargers, such as

those included in this sale, which he then hand-painted and glazed, again in the majolica style. The girl depicted is thought to be his daughter

Juliette, who, like her sisters, worked in the pottery as a teenager and studied under her father’s guidance. Today the pottery is run by the two

surviving members of the Swift family, Estella and Juliette, who continue to manage the pottery and design new patterns for both the shop and

commissioned works.

€ 600 - 800