In an extraordinary revelation, art historians have unveiled a previously overlooked connection between two titans of modern art: Edvard Munch and Paula Rego. Recent discoveries, including a long-lost painting and a heartfelt letter from a young Rego, illuminate how Munch’s iconic works profoundly shaped the Portuguese artist’s creative journey. This newfound appreciation for their artistic dialogue not only enriches our understanding of Rego but also highlights Munch’s enduring legacy.
A Lifelong Admiration
Munch, the celebrated Norwegian artist known for his evocative imagery, particularly The Scream, has long been a cornerstone of modern art. In contrast, Rego is hailed as one of the most significant figurative painters of the Iberian Peninsula. However, the link between these two artists remained largely unrecognised until now.
The turning point came with the discovery of a letter penned by a 16-year-old Rego, detailing her experiences at a Munch exhibition in London in 1951. At the time, Rego was attending a finishing school in Kent, and her enthusiasm for Munch’s work was palpable. “What impressed me most was an exhibition there by a modern Norwegian painter, Edvard Munch,” she wrote to her mother, Maria, back in Portugal. Her words capture the awe she felt: “It’s so impressive, so impressive that you can’t imagine.”
Rego’s emotional response to Munch’s work laid the foundation for her artistic identity, as she would later incorporate themes reminiscent of his imagery into her own pieces.
The Rediscovery of ‘Drought’
In a poignant twist of fate, Rego rediscovered a small painting titled Drought while sorting through her family home in Portugal in 2015. This artwork, measuring a mere 65cm by 22cm, had been tucked away in a portfolio and left in her London studio until after her passing in 2022. The piece depicts an open-mouthed pregnant woman clutching a skeletal infant, echoing the haunting motifs found in Munch’s work.
The painting remained unseen until it caught the attention of her son, Nick Willing, and the head of her estate. They recognised its significance and presented it to Kari J Brandtzæg, an art historian at Norway’s Munch Museum. Brandtzæg immediately noted the parallels to Munch’s The Scream and Anxiety, particularly regarding the emotional use of colour and the raw painting style reminiscent of Munch’s 1890s oeuvre.
A Museum Exhibition That Connects the Dots
The painting Drought will feature prominently in the upcoming exhibition “Dance Among Thorns,” which opens at the Munch Museum in Oslo on 24 April. This will be the first major retrospective of Rego’s work in the Nordic region, allowing art enthusiasts to explore the intricate ties between her creations and Munch’s legacy.
Brandtzæg, who was initially unaware of Rego’s exposure to Munch during her formative years, expressed her excitement at uncovering this artistic connection. While selecting works for the exhibition, she noted striking similarities between Rego’s The Dance and Munch’s The Dance of Life, as well as parallels between Rego’s Time – Past and Present and Munch’s History. “It is almost as though Rego is having a silent conversation with Munch’s visual world,” she remarked.
Willing confirmed his mother’s admiration for Munch, yet an exhaustive search for tangible proof of her visits to Munch’s exhibitions yielded little. However, the unearthing of Drought convinced Brandtzæg that Rego’s artistic dialogue with Munch was genuine.
New Insights from Archival Discoveries
Further research brought to light a previously unexamined interview Rego gave to the British Library in 2004. In this interview, she reminisced about attending a significant exhibition of Munch’s work in Paris in the early 1950s, which likely reinforced the influence his art had on her.
Rego described Munch’s paintings as “amazing” and “very emotional,” articulating a sense of connection that resonates through her body of work. “I loved the life in them and all these things that were going on seem to me what I was trying to do, really,” she said.
Brandtzæg believes that Munch became a source of inspiration for Rego, providing a framework for her to explore her own emotions and artistic expression. “Munch became a friend in art she could look at and get ideas from,” she noted, highlighting the profound relationship between the two artists despite the physical distance that separated them.
Why it Matters
The unearthing of these connections between Edvard Munch and Paula Rego is a testament to the intricate web of influence that defines the world of art. It not only enriches our understanding of Rego’s development as an artist but also reaffirms Munch’s significance in the broader narrative of modern art. As this dialogue between two masters unfolds, it invites us to reflect on how artists inspire one another across time and borders, ultimately shaping the cultural landscape in profound and lasting ways.
