Art and Iconography

Interpretation and aesthetic analysis of the railway.

The world of trains has fascinated and inspired intellectuals and artists since they first appeared, finding expression in literature, theatre, cinema, painting, sculpture and music.
This varied intellectual expression and professional iconography provide sources for interpreting the era and mentality of those who created them, as well as the context of their practical application.
Internationally renowned painters who portrayed moments and personalities from national life and the railways, such as Layraud and Carlos Reis, creators who established the image of CP, such as the sculptor José Santa Bárbara, who sculpted professions of the past, such as Branca Alarcão, and equipment that has ensured the safety of trains since the beginning, such as telephones, refer to aesthetic concepts, historical phases and technical developments in the railway.

Inauguration of the Maria Pia Bridge in 1877, oil on canvas, 198 cm x 90 cm

  • Artist: Joseph-Fortuné-Séraphin Layraud
  • Year: 1878

During a period of great circulation of European artists, which allowed for "a broad internationalisation of the most fashionable aesthetic trends", the painter lived in Portugal between 1873 and 1877, where he met and portrayed the royal family, and is represented in the Ajuda Palace.

Pintura.

Pointsman, bronze, 57 cm x 20 cm

  • Artist: Branca de Alarcão
  • Year: 1956

A disciple of Mestre Teixeira Lopes, the artist's works are considered "meticulous iconographic documents" of iconic railway professions essential to the system's safety, which technological evolution has made disappear.

Agulheiro.

Inauguration of the Eastern Railway – 28 October 1856, bronze

  • Artist: Gerard F.
  • Year: 1856

Commemorative medal of the first train journey in Portugal, between Lisbon and Carregado, attended by King D. Pedro V.

Medalha.

AC 110 table telephone, 28 cm high x 25 cm wide x 15 cm deep

  • Artist: L. M. Ericsson
  • Year: 1892

Crank telephone model, manufactured by the Swedish company L. M. Ericsson, used on the railways until the 1970s.

Telefone.