Under Milk Wood
Paula Rego · 1954
Paula Rego: 1935–2022
Other names (8)
Dama Maria Paula Figueiroa Rego, Maria Paula Figueiroa Rêgo, Paula Figueiroa Rêgo, Paula Figueroa Rêgo, Paula Rego, Paula Rego, Paula Rego, Paula Rego
Biography
Dame Maria Paula Figueiroa Rego (Portuguese: [ˈpawlɐ ˈʁeɣu]: 26 January 1935 – 8 June 2022) was a British-Portuguese visual artist, widely considered the pre-eminent woman artist of the late 20th and early 21st century, known particularly for her paintings and prints based on storybooks. Rego's style evolved from abstract towards representational, and she favoured pastels over oils for much of her career. Her work often reflects feminism, coloured by folk-themes from her native Portugal.
Rego studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and was an exhibiting member of The London Group, along with David Hockney and Frank Auerbach. In 1989 she became the second artist-in-residence, after the scheme re-started, at the National Gallery in London, after Jock McFadyen, who was the first in 1981. She lived and worked in London.
Wikipedia contributors. Opening excerpt, formatted for reading. CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision.
Artworks by year
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Museums & collections
Documented holdings of works attributed to Paula Rego. Check the museum’s record for current display information.
- Tate1 recorded work
- UCL Art Museum1 recorded work
Sources 9
- Wikidata (CC0)
- Painter cultural affiliation distinguished from recorded birthplace
- Pantheon 2025 — Datawheel (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Pantheon 2025 — Datawheel (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Expanded artwork research — official museum evidence
- Pantheon 2025 — Datawheel (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- UK painters — source authorities and selected artwork research
- UK painters — source authorities and selected artwork research
- WikiArt women artists review — 20 September 2026
Art, literature & history