Lines and Patterns in Wrought Iron

Sometimes when visiting a new place, something catches my eye and suddenly I see that same thing everywhere.  That’s what happened when I first noticed tiles in Portugal (see Talk About Tiles! ).  But there was something else I found equally intriguing when I looked around the cities and towns of Portugal—wrought iron!

Once I really started looking for wrought iron, I was amazed at its prevalence.  I noticed wrought iron balconies, railings, doors, grilles, light fixtures, fences, gates and so much more. And they were all different.  So I set a little photography challenge for myself—capture as many examples of wrought iron as possible.  I looked for unique wrought iron designs—from elaborate and fancy to plain and simple.  I looked for standalone design motifs.  I looked for repeating patterns.  In today’s post, I’ll share some of the wrought iron I spotted in Portugal.
The wrought iron on the Art Nouveau Museum in Aveiro (shown above and below) was the most spectacular I saw.  Not only is the design intricate with lots of curvy lines and delicate flowers but features were painted in vibrant spring colors.

On the other hand, here’s a much simpler design.  This wrought iron balcony was also spotted in Aveiro.  Lines and curls repeat to form a pleasing pattern.

Here’s another wrought iron balcony, this one in Ovar, with a more elaborate design.  The outline is rectangular but several elements combine to create intricate panels.

The round shapes and circular designs of the below balcony railings are pleasing and energetic.

Part of my photography challenge was to find wrought iron in different settings—to examine how surroundings and context impact the design.  This full door grille, surrounded by the beautiful patterned tiles typical of Ovar, is a showstopper!  The arch top, the interwoven loops of the center circle and the sweeping curves of the vertical lines all work together to command attention.

Here’s another example of an elaborate wrought iron design which complements the building’s style.  This set of partial door grilles from Porto incorporates the floral motifs and sinuous lines of the Art Nouveau movement.

Other designs, such as the repeating pattern of hearts on these partial door grilles in Caminha, are sweet and simple.

This simple, decorative door grille, from Aveiro, echoes the primary motif of the tiles perfectly.

Here’s another Aveiro example of a wrought iron pattern matching the tile design—note how the curls at the top of the hearts are repeated in the window grille.

In this example from Viana do Castelo, the simple linear window grille complements the more intricate tile pattern.

Wrought iron is also used for functional items such as street lights. This wrought iron light fixture is beautifully showcased against this vibrant yellow wall in Aveiro.

For this photo, I took a step back and captured the overall setting.   The wrought iron street lights grace a quiet street in Vila do Conde.

Walls and fences around gardens and churches often feature beautiful wrought iron designs.  I spotted this stunning wrought iron arbor in the town of Fão.

Here’s a closer look at the splendid spire.

The surrounding gates and fences were equally breathtaking.

This beautiful wrought iron cross frames the Benedictine Church of São Romão de Neiva.  It is one of my favorite shots from my trip to Portugal.

I’m thrilled with the results of my little photography challenge.  All these lovely lines and patterns provide me with no end of inspiration.  I can envision incorporating these ideas into greeting cards, pillow designs and wall hangings… just to name a few.  I recently sorted through all my wrought iron photos and organized them into an inspiration file.  Having them all together in one place will help the ideas flow and keep the inspiration alive.
Not surprisingly, I used Pinterest to build this inspiration board.  It’s a quick and easy way to gather and view inspiring photos.  Plus it’s a great way to share the inspiration with others.  Check it out now to see dozens of examples of lines and patterns in wrought iron or pin this photo for later.

More Info

Be sure to check out my Wrought Iron – FanningSparks Favs Pinterest board for dozens of examples of lines and patterns in wrought iron.
I was so inspired by my recent trip to Portugal that I wrote a series of blog posts about what I learned and experienced.  Check out:
. Tied in Knots in Portugal about the bobbin lace traditions of Vila do Conde.
. Following the Yellow Arrows which recaps my first 110+ km Camino walk.
. Making Curls and Swirls with a Filigree Master about my experience making a traditional Portuguese filigree heart.
. Talk About Tiles! which features the beautiful tiles (azulejos) so prevalent in Portugal.
. Lavish Lalique in Lisbon which looks at the René Lalique Collection of Art Nouveau jewelry at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum.
. Lines and Patterns in Wrought Iron (this post).

Today’s Takeaways

1. Consider setting a personal photography challenge to capture as many instances as possible of a specific topic or theme.
2. Look for a variety of examples and surroundings of your chosen topic.
3. Sort, organize and store your photos for inspiration and sharing.