In an exciting revelation for art enthusiasts, the profound influence of Edvard Munch on the acclaimed Portuguese artist Paula Rego has come to light. An early painting by Rego, alongside a previously overlooked letter, sheds new insight into how Munch’s emotive style inspired her work. This connection, long obscured, highlights the enduring legacy of one of Norway’s most significant artists in shaping the vision of a leading figure in contemporary art.
A Serendipitous Discovery
The art world has often celebrated Edvard Munch as a towering figure of modernism, particularly for his iconic piece, The Scream. However, the impact of his work on Paula Rego, a pivotal voice in figurative painting from the Iberian Peninsula, remained largely underappreciated until recently. Following Rego’s death in 2022 at the age of 87, her son, Nick Willing, discovered a small painting titled Drought, which he initially found while sorting through her belongings in Portugal in 2015. This piece, alongside a letter penned by a teenage Rego, has unveiled a previously unrecognised artistic dialogue between the two painters.
In a letter written to her mother in 1951, the 16-year-old Rego described her awe after visiting a Munch exhibition at the Tate Gallery in London. “What impressed me most was an exhibition there by a modern Norwegian painter, Edvard Munch,” she wrote, revealing the deep emotional impact his work had on her. She specifically referenced The Scream and another haunting piece, Inheritance, describing them as “so impressive that you can’t imagine.” This early admiration for Munch’s work would later manifest in her own artistic creations.
The Artistic Resonance
Rego’s Drought, painted during a challenging period for her homeland, vividly reflects Munch’s influence. The artwork features a distressed pregnant woman with an open mouth, reminiscent of the anguished expressions found in Munch’s oeuvre. The choice of colours in Rego’s painting, echoing the emotional palette of The Scream, further solidifies this connection. Art historian Kari J Brandtzæg, who is curating an upcoming exhibition at the Munch Museum in Oslo dedicated to Rego, noted the striking similarities in their use of colour and composition.
Brandtzæg was initially unaware of Rego’s exposure to Munch’s work until the discovery of Drought. “It was like working as a detective,” she remarked, expressing her excitement upon finding evidence that supported her hunch about the link between the two artists. The unearthing of this letter and painting has provided vital context for understanding Rego’s creative development during her formative years, bridging a gap that had existed for decades.
A Lasting Legacy
The revelations surrounding Rego and Munch will be prominently featured in the exhibition titled Dance Among Thorns, which opens on 24 April at the Munch Museum. This exhibition marks the first major retrospective of Rego’s work in the Nordic region, presenting an invaluable opportunity to explore the connections between these two artists. As Brandtzæg meticulously selected works for the show, she found herself drawn to parallels between Munch’s compositions and Rego’s paintings, such as The Dance and Time – Past and Present, both of which resonate with themes found in Munch’s work.
Despite the absence of direct evidence linking Rego’s later career to Munch’s influence beyond her teenage years, Brandtzæg believes that Munch served as a significant inspiration. “For Rego, Munch became a kind of idol, a source of courage and ideas,” she explained. Rego herself acknowledged the emotional depth in Munch’s paintings, which echoed her own artistic aspirations.
Why it Matters
The unearthing of Rego’s early work and her heartfelt reflections on Munch not only enrich the narrative of 20th-century art but also illuminate the power of artistic influence across borders and generations. This connection underscores the importance of understanding how one artist can inspire another, transforming their emotional landscapes into visual dialogues that resonate with audiences. As we delve deeper into the lives and works of these two extraordinary artists, we gain insight not only into their individual creations but also into the shared human experience that art endeavours to capture.
