Furniture in Portugal, 1940-1974: between tradition, authoritarianism and modernity

Portuguese design furniture (1940-1974) and the industrial policies of the New State's dictatorship. Through furnishing is revealed a discourse between a nationalistic intent and a gradual adoption of the modern movement, reflecting the dynamics that followed World War II. These experiments can be seen both as evidence of authoritarian regime as well as part of a resistance that would transform Portugal and its material culture. In the 1940s, there was the so-called rustic and the historicisms of scholarly root, reflecting the authoritarian character of power, but from the 50s, several creators fought for modernity in its furniture designs.