Study for Crivelli’s Garden (The Visitation)

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Downing Street

This painting is a study for one of the four murals depicting the lives of female saints which Paula Rego originally painted for the restaurant in the National Gallery in London. Rego painted these studies and murals during her appointment as the first National Gallery Associate Artist in 1990–92.

Working directly with the National Gallery’s collection, Rego took as her starting point the altarpiece 'Madonna della Rondine' by the 15th century Venetian artist Carlo Crivelli. The lowest part of the altarpiece, depicted the lives of various saints. In her studies and murals, Rego chose to tell the story of women from biblical history and folklore based on the Golden Legend, a collection of saint biographies compiled in the thirteenth century and widely circulated across Europe. Rego’s studies and murals show these women in Crivelli’s re-imagined garden surrounded by Portuguese blue and white tiles. Her depictions were based on people that Rego knew, including friends, family and members of the National Gallery staff.

Rego’s 'Study for Crivelli’s Garden (The Visitation)' portrays St Elizabeth telling her cousin Mary, the mother of Jesus, that  despite being past child-bearing age, she is expecting a baby. Her son John the Baptist is included in the painting holding a lamb, the symbol of Jesus. On the right hand side, Rego painted narrative scenes from the life of Mary, including her death and assumption into heaven.

Paula Rego was born in Lisbon in 1935. The subjects of her works explore human relationships, often influenced by her childhood memories of Portugal. She trained at the Slade School in London (1952–56) and met the painter Victor Willing. After marrying, they lived in Portugal from 1957–63. After his death, Rego settled in London in 1988 and that year, major shows featured at the Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon and the Serpentine Gallery. Her show, Nursery Rhymes toured internationally (1991–96) and retrospectives were held in Liverpool and Lisbon (1997). In 1998 a solo exhibition was held at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Rego’s works are held in international collections including the Tate, London and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Places

Subjects

statue (as Subject), sculpture (as Subject), allegory & symbolism, genre, tree, wing, camel, sheep, boy, baby, man, woman, girl, 20th century costume, robe, dress, child, New Testament, angel, monk, putto, archway, balcony, cradle

Materials & Techniques

acrylic (paint), canvas, acrylic painting

Artist

Paula Rego (1935 - 2022)

Title

Study for Crivelli’s Garden (The Visitation)

Date

1990-1991

Medium

Acrylic on canvas

Dimensions

height: 80.00 cm, width: 100.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from the artist, April 1991

Inscription

None visible

GAC number

16765