In 1770, an international competition was held for the creation of a statue of King Joseph I of Portugal, based on drawings prepared by Eugenio dos Santos. It is widely believed that one of the motivations for the monumental sculpture’s prominent location was to honor the king’s capable response to the devastation caused by the earthquake of 1755. (...)
In 1770, an international competition was held for the creation of a statue of King Joseph I of Portugal, based on drawings prepared by Eugenio dos Santos. It is widely believed that one of the motivations for the monumental sculpture’s prominent location was to honor the king’s capable response to the devastation caused by the earthquake of 1755. Joaquim Machado de Castro won the competition and cast the equestrian statue to represent the king, the first such statue to be cast in Portugal, which was unveiled on the king’s birthday in 1775. The statue remains today in the Praça do Comércio, a central point in Lisbon. Locals and tourists alike frequent the square, as they have done for centuries. The statue, considered the first work of public art in Portugal, marked a pivotal moment in the artistic career of Joaquim Machado de Castro, who became the official court sculptor of Portugal.
