Cathy's Art Diary

Fascinating online lecture from the National Gallery introducing their current exhibition focusing on Paula Rego’s mural from the restaurant. I had seen the show shortly before so it was really useful to spend an hour with Priyesh Mistry, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Projects at the gallery, learning a bit more about how it was commissioned, who the figures are in it and how it was painted. I liked the way he guided us across the picture telling us a bit about the iconography of the women represented and how Rego’s take on them was sometimes different He also told us about the members of the education team at the gallery who had modelled for Rego during her period as artist in residence in the early 1990s which led to this commission. Mistry also talked about how Rego wanted to use this work to introduce more women into the imagery of the gallery and to have a female view point represented.

Delightful exhibition at the National Gallery focusing on Paula Rego’s mural for the gallery’s restaurant. As the restaurant area is being refurbished, this was a chance to show the mural as a work of art. It was created during Rego’s year as the first artist in residence at the gallery in 1991 in response to an altarpiece by Crivelli which was also shown in the space. The mural looked beautiful and was smaller than I remembered it. It was great to be able to look at all the detail close up and to see the preparatory drawings, many based on National Gallery staff of the time. The figures in the mural represent Biblical and Mythological women and it was fun to sit in front of it and play spot the character. My recent mythology course came in handy! I later realised there is a guide on the website to check your answers.   Closes 29 October 2033 Reviews Times Guardian Evening Standard  

Fascinating exhibition at Tate Britain on the life and work of Paula Rego. I love Rego’s more recent work but didn’t know of her early collage pieces or anything about her early life in Lisbon so the first rooms were a revelation to me and explained some of her later work. The pictures were described and presented well and not too thickly hung so they each had room to speak which is important for complex compositions. I loved the room of her 1986-88 works of which the Tate’s “The Dance” was the culmination. These monumental pictures were shown with drawings and studies for them. I was struck throughout how often the subject works were appalling but they are so beautifully painted and packed with symbolism. You didn’t feel you needed to understand all the nuances to find these dramatic works. The commentaries were fascinating though and I loved the touch that Rego had bought her therapist’s couch and includes it in paintings. Closes 24 October 2021 Reviews Times Guardian ...

Stunning exhibition at Marlborough Fine Art of recent work by Paulo Rego. The show included pictures telling the story of the last king of Portugal as the title suggested but also pictures illustrating “The Relic” by Eca de Quieroz and a folk tale called “Stone Soup”. They were all bold and colourful with feeling of Renaissance frescos. The pictures were packed full of story. One of the first ones you see has a dinner party with an older lady and four priests. One of the priests prays at a shrine in one corner. Behind the figures is “Our Lady of Sorrows” another picture by Rego which hangs behind you. You brain starts to try to work out the story and questions elements of the picture. The “Stone Soup” pictures were smaller and more delicate and I loved “Foraging” one of the first in a series which gave the impression of someone paddling and things in water really beautifully. But best of all was the sequence on the true story of the last king of Portugal. I loved...