The combination of tile with architecture has been used in Portugal for centuries. It achieved a unique level of artistry by the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. The use of new colours and modern stylizations were explored during the Art Nouveau period. The tile was used as a frame for architectural features in order to enhance the building. By then all the elements were intended to be harmoniously combined as a whole.
A span of case studies, chronologically ordered, illustrates the role and evolution of tiles used during this period, when tiles were designed by academic painters or architects. The comparison of projects published, or kept in archives, with the actual buildings led to a new understanding about this artistic period in Portugal and, particularly, in Lisbon and its surroundings.