Paula Rego: The Complete Graphic Work

Paula Rego, one of today's leading figurative artists, was born in Portugal and studied at the Slade School of Art in London from 1952 to 1956. She took up permanent residence in England in 1976 but has never severed her Portuguese roots. This is the first monograph to deal exclusively with Rego's graphic work: over two hundred etchings, aqua-tints, and lithographs from 1954 and her student days to the Jane Eyre series in 2002, including several that were never editioned but only proofed. For many painters, etching and lithography are merely an adjunct to their art, and the graphic images are simply copies of their paintings in another medium. Rego is unique among highly acclaimed contemporary artists in that her graphic works are mostly original in theme as well as execution, and she makes use of this different medium to project the disturbing and subversive power seen in her paintings. The text, written by Rego's friend the art critic T. G. Rosenthal, provides the background to each series and analyzes each work. It quotes extensively from the artist's own commentaries and conversations with the author, which provides intriguing insights into the art. A fully illustrated catalogue raisonne, a description of Rego's techniques by Paul Coldwell, a comprehensive list of exhibitions, and a bibliography make this an essential survey of a major aspect of Rego's work. 445 illustrations in color and duotone.