Culture

Famous Artists from Portugal

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Updated August 30, 2019 38.7k views 62 items

List of the most popular artists from Portugal, listed alphabetically with photos when available. For centuries artists have been among the world's most important people, helping chronicle history and keep us entertained with one of the earliest forms of entertainment. Whether they're known for painting, sculpting, etching or drawing, the famous Portuguese artists on this list have kept that tradition alive by creating renowned pieces of art that have been praised around the world. You can find useful information below about these notable Portuguese artists, such as when they were born and where their place of birth was.

Examples of artists on this list: Vieira Portuense, João Hogan and many more.

This list answers the questions, "Which famous artists are from Portugal?" and "Who are the most well-known Portuguese artists?"

For further information on these historic Portuguese artists, click on their names. If you're a fine art lover use this list of celebrated Portuguese artists to discover some new paintings that you will enjoy.
Maria Helena Vieira da S... is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Le Promeneur Invisible (The Invisible Stroller), Dance, Rotterdam

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Nationality: France, Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

Maria Helena Vieira da Silva (13 June 1908 – 6 March 1992) was a Portuguese abstract painter. She was considered a leading member of the European abstract expressionism movement known as Art ...more
Maria Inês Ribeiro... is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Maria Inês Ribeiro da Fonseca

Birthplace: Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Menez or Maria Inês Ribeiro da Fonseca, GOSE (Lisbon, 1926–1995) was a Portuguese painter. Her major body of work consists of paintings and drawings but she also produced ceramics, ...more
Nadir Afonso is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Espacilimitado

Birthplace: Chaves Municipality, Portugal, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

Nadir Afonso, GOSE was a geometric abstractionist painter. Formally trained in architecture, which he practiced early in his career with Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer, Nadir Afonso later ...more
Francisco Keil do Amaral... is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

Prolific architect (and landscape architect) whose many works are usually purist modernist designs. He was one of the most influential architects of his generation. Many of his buildings still ...more
Paula Rego is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Dog Woman, Celestina's House, Olga

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal, United Kingdom

Art Forms: Painting

Dame Maria Paula Figueiroa Rego (born 26 January 1935) is a Portuguese-born visual artist who is particularly known for her paintings and prints based on storybooks. Rego’s style has evolved ...more
Josefa de Óbidos ... is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal

Birthplace: Seville, Spain

Nationality: Portugal, Spain

Art Forms: Painting

Josefa de Óbidos (Portuguese: [ʒuˈzɛfɐ ð(j) ˈɔβiðuʃ]; ca. 1630 – 22 July 1684) was a Spanish-born Portuguese painter. Her birth name was Josefa de Ayala Figueira, but she signed ...more
Cristóvão ... is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Cristóvão Lopes

Nationality: Portugal

Cristóvão Lopes (c.1516–1594) was a Portuguese painter. Cristóvão Lopes was the son and disciple of royal painter Gregório Lopes, who died in 1550. ...more
Álvaro Siza Vieir... is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Alves Santos House, Povoa de Varzim, Portugal

Birthplace: Matosinhos, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Álvaro Joaquim de Melo Siza Vieira, GOSE, GCIH, is a Portuguese architect, and architectural educator. He is internationally known as Alvaro Siza.
Amadeo de Souza Cardoso ... is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
The Leap of the Rabbit, Carnation Girl, The Green-eyed Mask

Birthplace: Amarante Municipality, Portugal, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso (14 November 1887 – 25 October 1918) was a Portuguese painter.
Henrique Pousão ... is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Henrique Pousão

Birthplace: Vila Viçosa, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Henrique César de Araújo Pousão (Vila Viçosa, 1 January 1859 - Vila Viçosa, 20 March 1884) was a Portuguese painter.
José de Almada Ne... is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Homenagem a Lucca Signorelli

Birthplace: São Tomé Island, Água Grande District, São Tomé, Africa, São Tomé and Príncipe

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

José Sobral de Almada Negreiros (April 7, 1893 – June 15, 1970) was a Portuguese artist. He was born in the colony of Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe, the son of a ...more
Alfredo Keil is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

Alfredo Cristiano Keil (3 July 1850 – 4 October 1907) was a Portuguese romantic composer and painter. Keil was born in Lisbon, the son of Johann Christian Keil (son of Johann Georg Keil and wife ...more
Augusto Cabrita is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal

Birthplace: Portugal, Estremadura, Barreiro Municipality, Setúbal District

Nationality: Portugal

Augusto Cabrita (1923–1993) was a Portuguese photographer, cinematographer and film director. He is best known as a leading name in photography in Portugal.
Francisco de Holanda is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

Francisco de Holanda (originally Francisco d'Olanda; 6 September 1517 – 19 June 1585) was a Portuguese court painter, architect, and sculptor for King João III of Portugal, and later for ...more
Abel Salazar is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal

Birthplace: Guimarães, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

Abel Salazar may refer to: Abel Salazar (actor) (1917-1995), Mexican film actor, producer and director Abel Salazar (scientist) (1889-1946), Portuguese physician, lecturer, researcher, writer ...more
Juno Doran is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Juno Doran

Nationality: Portugal, United Kingdom

Art Forms: Painting

Juno Doran is a visual and sound artist based in North Dorset, United Kingdom.
José Rodrigues is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
José Rodrigues O Pobre Rabequista

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

José Rodrigues de Carvalho (July 16, 1828 in Lisbon – October 19, 1887 in Lisbon) was a Portuguese painter. O Pobre Rabequista (The poor rabequista), painted in 1855 and considered ...more
Rigo 23 is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Rigo 23 Reward for Lost Yellow, Lost Rascal, HELP! My name is Baby!

Birthplace: Portugal

Nationality: Portugal, United States of America

Art Forms: Painting

Rigo 23 (born Ricardo Gouveia, 1966) is a Portuguese muralist, painter, and political artist residing in San Francisco, California. He is known in the San Francisco community for having painted ...more
Columbano Bordalo Pinhei... is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro (Almada, 21 November 1857 – Lisbon, 6 November 1929), who is usually referred to as Columbano, was a Portuguese Realist painter. Usually considered the greatest ...more
Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro ... is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro

Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Ceramic art, Drawing

Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (21 March 1846 – 23 January 1905) was a Portuguese artist known for his illustration, caricatures, sculpture, and ceramics designs. Bordalo Pinheiro created the popular ...more
José Malhoa is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
José Malhoa

Birthplace: Coimbra, Caldas da Rainha, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

José Vital Branco Malhoa, known simply as José Malhoa (Caldas da Rainha, 28 April 1855 - Figueiró dos Vinhos, 26 October 1933) was a Portuguese painter. Malhoa was, with ...more
Mário Eloy is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Mário Eloy

Birthplace: Algés

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

Mário Eloy (15 March 1900 in Algés – 5 September 1951 in Lisbon) was a Portuguese expressionist painter. Eloy was born in Lisbon. His style shows the influence of painters like van ...more
Mário Cesariny de... is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal

Birthplace: Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

Mário Cesariny de Vasconcelos or Mário Cesariny (August 9, 1923 – November 26, 2006) was a Portuguese surrealist poet. He published several major works during a career spanning 50 ...more
Domingos Sequeira is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Domingos Sequeira

Birthplace: Belém, Lisbon, Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Art Forms: Painting

Domingos António de Sequeira (Lisbon; 10 March 1768 – Rome; 8 March 1837) was a famous Portuguese painter at the Royal Court of King John VI of Portugal.
Manuel Pereira da Silva ... is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list Famous Artists from Portugal
Manuel Pereira da Silva

Birthplace: Portugal

Nationality: Portugal

Manuel Pereira da Silva (7 December 1920 – 2003) was a Portuguese sculptor. He was born in Oporto, Portugal. The workmanship of Manuel Pereira da Silva has an abstract formal orientation ...more