Alberto Luís Bion (ca. 1731-1788) A French Silversmith in Lisbon in the Eighteenth Century

Abstract

The French  influence  in  Portugal,  felt  since  the  second  decade  of  the Eighteenth century, assumed a particular relevance in the reign of King John V. This  growing  cosmopolitan  interest  for  the  art  of  the  Parisian  silver  extended from the Royal House to the nobility remained in the second half of the  century in Lisbon, favored in large extent by the rupture caused by the cataclysm of 1755, resulting  in  a  new  sociological  experience  inspired  by  the  parameters  of  French culture.

In the  second  half  of  the  century  the  flow  of  emigration  became  evident, and  a  considerable  number  of  french  people  lived  in  the  city,  belonging  to  the most  diverse  professions,  such  as  servants,  hairdressers,  watchmakers,  tailors and  weavers,  and  booksellers,  engravers,  merchants,  jewelers  and  silversmiths. In this  field,  Alberto  Luís  Bion,  a  silversmith  of  French  nationality,  stands  out,whose learning in this  country certainly justifies certain characteristics that are evident in some of the pieces he has executed in Lisbon.