The National Gallery London, »Paula Rego: Crivelli's Garden«

An Intimate Relationship

From July 20, the National Gallery in London is celebrating two kinds of relationships: not only its own intimate relationship with the artist Paula Rego, who died only last year, but also that between a monumental work by Rego and a Renaissance painting. Paula Rego: Crivelli's Garden reveals the connections.

July 19, 2023
Paula Rego Crivelli\'s Garden IV, 1990 1 Acrylic on canvas
The National Gallery, London. Presented by English Estates, 1991 © Ostrich Arts Ltd. Photo: The National Gallery, London
Paula Rego ,Crivelli's Garden IV, 1990-1, Acrylic on canvas, 190 × 260.7 × 2 cm

From July 20, the National Gallery in London will present a profound relationship between two works: A contemporary monumental painting by Paula Rego will sit alongside Carlo Crivelli's La Madonna della Rondine (1490, Madonna of the Swallows), a Renaissance altarpiece. This is no mere coincidence; the whole thing has a significant history, especially for the National Gallery.

»Thirty years ago, Dame Paula Rego (1935-2022), our first Associate Artist (1990-2), was commissioned to create a mural for the then-new Sainsbury Wing Dining Room,« the museum explains. The result, Rego's Crivelli's Garden. With the exhibition of the same name, the National Gallery is celebrating the close relationship between the artist and the gallery – it sees the presentation as a tribute to the work and life of one of the most important artists of her generation.

Rego was inspired by the aforementioned Madonna by Crivelli. The original painting tells stories of various women from the Bible and folklore. The Virgin Mary, Saint Catherine, Mary Magdalene and Delilah take their places in the labyrinth of Crivelli's garden. Portuguese blue and white tiles line the mural. Rego reinterpreted the Renaissance image, transforming the legendary figures into representations of modern, brave and strong women – women she knew herself: Friends, family members, and staff of the National Gallery at the time, who now grace the Sainsbury Wing Dining Room.

In the exhibition, the National Gallery presents the original drawings alongside the paintings, highlighting the clear relationship between the two.Art.Salon

Carlo Crivelli, Altarpiece from S. Francesco dei Zoccolanti, Matelica after 1490
© The National Gallery, London
Carlo Crivelli, Altarpiece from S. Francesco dei Zoccolanti, Matelica after 1490

Auction Results of Paula Rego

Dame Paula Rego R.A. - Après la fête II (Rosenthal 222)
Auction
Blazing a TrailModern British Women
September 2024
Bonhams, London (Online Auction)
Est.: 700 - 1.000 GBP
Realised: 1.792 GBP
Details
Dame Paula Rego R.A. - Death Goes Shopping (Unique Stage Proofs) (see Rosenthal 277)
Auction
Blazing a TrailModern British Women
September 2024
Bonhams, London (Online Auction)
Est.: 10.000 - 15.000 GBP
Realised: 12.160 GBP
Details
Paula Rego - Untitled
Auction
Post-War to Present
June 2024
Christies, London
Est.: 80.000 - 120.000 GBP
Realised: 119.700 GBP
Details
Paula Rego - A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go I, from Nursery Rhymes (R. 59)
Auction
Evening & Day Editions
June 2024
Phillips, London Auction
Est.: 2.000 - 3.000 GBP
Realised: 2.159 GBP
Details

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