“We interpret the world through stories... everybody makes in their own way sense of things, but if you have stories it helps.” Paula Rego

An exhibition of the internationally renowned Portuguese-British artist Paula Rego (1935 - 2022) will open at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery this October. Presented by Hayward Gallery Touring, Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature will showcase the artist’s remarkable printmaking practice, taking a deep look into the literary influences that have inspired Rego’s works.

I went to the press preview this morning and was astonished by the body of work that I had no idea about. More used to see Paula Rego's brightly coloured paintings, it was an education to see these engraving and lithographs. Entry to the museum includes this exhibition, plus a new exhibition of watercolours as well as the permanent collection of Norwich School of Painters and the fabulous newly renovated Castle Keep, all in all, it could keep you busy for a day.

The Paula Rego exhibition has three main sections, starting with illustrations for Nursery Rhymes, then Peter Pan and finally the big gallery at the end has a very impressive display of large lithographs. Also visit the Norwich Castle website for details of admission times and ticket price

About the Paula Rego exhibition
One of the great printmakers and storytellers of our time, Paula Rego drew inspiration from a vast range of sources - from traditional folklore and fairy tales, to literary classics and nursery rhymes. Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature will present three of the artist’s most ambitious and profound series of works in printmaking: Nursery Rhymes, Peter Pan and Jane Eyre, made across a decade of the artist’s life. Each series will be accompanied by a variety of personal items from the artist, many of which have rarely been publicly displayed. Preparatory sketches, etching plates and Rego’s very own childhood copy of Peter Pan will offer audiences an intimate portrayal of the artist's lifelong fascination with literature and insight into how the artist transformed this material into startlingly original and unexpected pictures.
 
From menacing oversized creatures etched into life from children’s nursery rhymes such as Little Miss Muffet and Three Blind Mice, to the almost hallucinatory depictions of Neverland from Peter Pan and the tumultuous relationships based on power that characterise Jane Eyre, Rego's work tells stories that combine fantasy and imagination with innocence and cruelty. They explore the complexities of life and the experience of women in particular, in all its strangeness and mystery. Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature aims to spark new ways of seeing the world from audiences in relation to these seemingly familiar, age-old stories.

The exhibition coincides with the launch of a new monograph on Rego, published by Hayward Gallery Publishing. This treasure of a book is the first to focus in detail on Rego's literary sources. It features essays by Marco Livingstone, Rosanna McLaughlin and Marina Warner that offer audiences an intimate portrayal of the artist’s lifelong fascination with literature, and an insight into how the artist transformed this material into startlingly original, rebellious and unexpected images.
Hayward Gallery Touring is the UK’s largest contemporary art organisation producing exhibitions that tour Britain. As part of the Southbank Centre, an engine of creativity for the nation’s artists and audiences, Hayward Gallery Touring is passionate about the important role that cultural institutions play in providing access to the arts. Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature will bring a unique cultural experience to new audiences up and down the UK, providing an opportunity to step into the world and mind of one of the most important figurative artists of her generation.

Some quotes from people involved in the exhibition
Brian Cass, Senior Curator, Hayward Gallery Touring, says:
“Throughout her life, Paula Rego used printmaking as a central tool of her art. Taking inspiration from literature, she connected with stories in very personal ways, using them to articulate the conditions of her own life and draw her desires, dreams, fears, and traumas into sequences of remarkable pictures.
 
Hayward Gallery Touring had the honour of working with Paula Rego on a small travelling show in the 1990s. We are absolutely delighted to continue this relationship 35 years later, and by collaborating with a range of exhibition partners, celebrate her unique art and vision with audiences across the UK.”
 
Councillor Margaret Dewsbury, Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships, Norfolk County Council, says:
“Paula Rego is one of the most important artists of our times and I am delighted that we are hosting this exhibition of her printmaking at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery. These playful and thought-provoking works provide an engaging and accessible introduction to her always fascinating oeuvre.”

Lisa Newby, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, says:
“This exhibition is a wonderful opportunity to explore the fusion of imaginative storytelling and exceptional printmaking skills in Paula Rego's work. It has been fantastic to work with Hayward Gallery Touring to bring Rego's evocative prints to Norwich." 

Paula Rego’s Estate, says:
“Life with Paula was filled with stories, humour and mischief and she always seemed to have her own, surprising twist on the books she read. She often said that she had the most fun making the prints for these series because the stories were already laid out for her, but there’s no question that she made them her own. We’d like to thank Hayward Gallery Touring for mounting this exhibition.”

Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature will be a long-standing touring exhibition, taking residency at further locations following its presentation at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery. A Hayward Gallery Touring exhibition. It has been developed with the support of Paula Rego’s Estate.
edit.

Since The Wonder of Birds exhibition opened on 24 May, 39,000 people have visited Norwich Castle, compared with 32,000 in a similar period last year.   

This stunning show has attracted national media attention best summed up in this quote from The Spectator, ‘…this is a real event in the museum world, and worth travelling to see.’

If you haven't seen it yet, there's still time, the exhibition is open until 14 September.  And for an insight into the conservation of the exhibits and the challenges of hanging such a complex show click here.

This beautiful and compelling painting by Hans Holbein the Younger is one of the stars of the exhibition. Research suggests the subject in A Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling is likely to have been Anne Lovell from East Harling in Norfolk.

Hans Holbein the Younger A Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling  © The National Gallery, London. Bought with contributions from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and The Art Fund and Mr J. Paul Getty Jnr (through the American Friends of the National Gallery, London), 1992 

There are three special events supporting The Wonder of Birds and Inspired by Birds.

Birdsong as Music: An Evening with Richard Mabey - Thursday 28 Aug, 6 to 8pm.  Price £15, Musuems Pass £13.50.

Golden Gobblers: The Turkey in Art and Life - Weds 3 Sept, 5.45 to 8pm. Dr Tom Duncan presents this year's National Art Fund lecture.  Price £12.

Why are Birds Wonderful? Sat 6 Sept, 10am to 4.30pm.  A study day with writer and environmentalist Mark Cocker, who will lead a panel of expert speakers including Katrina van Grouw, Adrian Marsden, Mike Toms, Francesca Vanke and David Waterhouse. Price £30, Museums Pass £27; includes refreshments and lunch.

For details and to book tickets, telephone 01603 495897. 

But essentially, there is no excuse to miss seeing this ex