The Poet

Produced by Portalegre Tapestry Manufacture, from a cartoon by António Costa Pinheiro (1932-2015) dated 1982, this piece depicts the figure of the poet Fernando Pessoa.

It has a decorative weft in wool, with the warp and another fine weft in cotton. The mark of the producer, usually woven into one of the lower corners on the front of the tapestry, shows the initials MTP (Manufactura de Tapeçarias de Portalegre) and the monogram of its director, which has changed over time. In this case, the piece was produced under the direction of Guy Fino, who was involved in the firm’s establishment in 1946.

A visual artist from Moura (Alentejo region), it was in Lisbon that Costa Pinheiro began his art studies, later developing a significant part of his career in Germany. He was co-founder of the KWY group and the magazine of the same name. He focused on painting, print-making and illustration, and is well known for the series of imaginary portraits of the kings of Portugal, produced between 1964 and 1966, and the works devoted to Fernando Pessoa. He began working with Portalegre Tapestry Manufacture in 1984.