Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature

The Neverland, 1992. Coloured etching and aquatint. Image: 57.3×71.4cm. Edition of 50© Ostrich Arts Ltd | Paula RegoEstate. Courtesy Ostrich Arts Ltdand Cristea Roberts Gallery

‘We interpret the world through stories… Everybody makes sense of things in their own way, but if you have stories, it helps.’ Paula Rego

The elegant Petworth gallery delves into Paula Rego’s lifelong fascination with storytelling and literature, tracing how she reimagined nursery rhymes, Peter Pan and Jane Eyre through the incisive language of printmaking. Made across a decade, these series twist familiar tales into something unmistakably her own. Each group of works is shown alongside intimate personal objects from the late Portuguese artist – preparatory sketches, etching plates, and even her childhood copy of Peter Pan, worn from early enchantment. The show has been developed by Hayward Gallery Touring.

Find out more