Trip to Parque das Nações - Lago das Tágides | Portugal

Still enjoying the visit to the Parque das Nações and digesting it after stopping for lunch during the trip to the south of the country running along the coastal area, we stopped for a moment to glimpse yet another very interesting corner, a small lake of shallow waters and full of female figures carved in marble stone.

At that time i had no idea what it was about or what its symbolism was, but after some research it was possible to verify that it is the lake "Lago das Tágides" which is presented with the following description:

Lake of Tágides - Lago das Tágides
Sculptor: João Cutileiro. Date: 1998. Material: Marble stone. Style: Allegory.

The work was executed and inaugurated in 1998 by the sculptor João Cutileiro and translates a set of sculptures in marble stone inside a lake, among which is represented a falua, a traditional boat from the Tejo river, and female figures that evoke the Tágides, figures mythical Camonians, naked girls playing in the water, loose, carefree.
The sculptor used a technique similar to collage, starting from a wide surface, which corresponds to the body, superimposing other stone elements such as hair and breasts.

The sculptor called them “Tágides” for being the name given by the Portuguese poet Camões to the nymphs who would live on the Tejo River and to whom he asked for inspiration to write the master piece “Os Lusíadas”. Nymphs, according to mythology, are beings with enchanting powers that live in the waters of rivers and seas.
It is always interesting to know the story behind a piece of art, and i was unaware of it until i had the pleasure of viewing it and searching for its history.

In addition to some lake records, also share some photos of the space surrounding the lake and of course, always with a privileged view of the Tejo River ;)

That´s all for today :)

See you soon

Thank you for watching :)

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