Lima de Freitas (1927–1998) was a Portuguese painter, illustrator, ceramicist and writer. He studied at the Escola Superior de Belas Artes de Lisboa.
He illustrated over 100 books, most notably the Portuguese writer Aquilino Ribeiro'ssee: Portuguese wiki} translation into Portuguese of Don Quixote.[1] The drawings were recently published in a translation by Jose Bento, ed. Relógio D' Água, 2005. Amongst his work on ceramic tiles, 14 Lisbon myths and legends tile panels are displayed at the Rossio Train Station located at Rossio, Lisbon.[2]
He exhibited his works from 1946 and had solo exhibitions from 1950. He first exhibited at the age of 20 at II Exposição Geral da Academia de Música e Belas Artes da Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes. He exhibited all over Portugal as well as in England, Denmark, Poland and France. He was initially linked with Neorealism (art). In 1968 he collaborated with Patrick Swift and opened the Porches Pottery (Olaria Algarve).[3] As a writer, he published his works: Pintura incómoda (1965), Almada e o número (1977) and Imagens da imagem (1977).[4]
Among his various awards, he was awarded the Medalha de Honra da Cidade (Freedom of the City), Setúbal,[5] "chevalier e officier de L’Ordre du Mérite" (Ordre national du Mérite) by the French government,[6] and Order of Saint James of the Sword (a Portuguese Order of Chivalry).[7] Between 1976 and 1978 he was Director-General in the State Secretariat for Culture and then became Director of The National Theatre of Portugal. He was also a Freemason Master Mason.