An Intimate Relationship

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.