Casa das Histórias Paula Rego opens two exhibitions on 18 December that promise to reveal other sides of the painter who died in 2022. "The CHPR Collection in Dialogue with the Artist’s Collection", in galleries 1 to 7, places works from the museum’s collection alongside works from Paula Rego’s own collection; meanwhile, "Costumes and Pictures: Clothing in the Work of Paula Rego", in gallery 0, presents the artist’s work through the perspective of fashion and dress, exploring how clothing became a central element in her compositions. Both exhibitions run until 15 March 2026.
Curated by Catarina Alfaro, "The CHPR Collection in Dialogue with the Artist’s Collection" traces Paula Rego’s career from her early experiences in London, at the Slade School of Fine Arts, through to the consolidation of her distinctive visual language, shaped by the intersection of imagination, literature and social reality. Rather than following a chronological order, the exhibition is organised around recurring themes and emotions. Highlights include previously unseen works, such as an undated self-portrait and a portrait of her granddaughter Darcey, as well as sketchbooks from the 1970s, shown for the first time, which reveal the artist’s experimental process.
You’ll also have the chance to see emblematic works such as Day and Night (1953), Encounter with Adélia (2013), The Last Feeding (2012), The Fisherman (2005) and The Mother Wearing the Wolf’s Skin (2003) – from the Little Red Riding Hood series – recently acquired by Fundação D. Luís I and currently on deposit at the museum. The exhibition also includes the model made by the artist herself for The Tree of the Muses (2007) and three works from a series dedicated to depression (2007), in which Paula Rego captures a sense of incomprehension, creating fierce images of loneliness and human suffering.
Inside Paula Rego’s wardrobe
"Costumes and Pictures: Clothing in the Work of Paula Rego", also curated by Catarina Alfaro, presents the work of the Portuguese artist through the lens of fashion. For the first time, pieces from Paula Rego’s studio wardrobe are on display, shown alongside the works they relate to. This approach allows visitors to understand the importance of clothing in shaping characters and in the theatrical construction of each painting.
Paula Rego’s interest in fashion emerged very early on, influenced by her mother and by her first experiences in London and Paris. The exhibition even includes letters the artist wrote to her mother in the early 1950s, in which she describes the latest trends in detail through drawings. From the 1990s onwards, clothing takes on a decisive role, not only in the psychological portrayal of the characters but also in the pictorial dimension of the work. As the artist herself put it: “Clothes say something about personality, about the character, about their social position and about the period too. They are a very important element in the context of any visual story.”
Among the works on display are the study for The Test (1990), a painting from the The Crime of Father Amaro series (1997), and Sewing Lesson from 1986.
Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, Bairro dos Museus, Avenida da República, 300 (Cascais). Tue–Sun 10AM–6PM. €5
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