WHAT?  Paula Rego: Crivelli’s Garden 

WHERE?  National Gallery, Room 46, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN

WHEN?  Now until 29th October.  Free to view 

WHY GO?  For a glorious biblical mash-up. Originally painted as a mural for the gallery’s restaurant way back in the Nineties, Crivelli’s Garden now hangs resplendent in the main gallery and where (hopefully) it might remain. 

Gloriously unique for a whole lot of reasons, Paula Rego, the tireless feminist, incorporated almost every female saint from biblical folklore centre stage in this epic mural, some big and some small in scale, never caring for accurate proportions.  She depicted friends, family and gallery staff as models making it even more personal to the gallery and it just begs to become a permanent fixture. 

In her beloved Portuguese blue-tile colours, it chimes with the warmth of the Mediterranean paying homage to the artist Carlo Crivelli whose original altarpiece, shown alongside, inspired her imaginative genius. 

It has to be seen up close to be fully appreciated, for every figure tells a tale and showcases the enchanted world of this revered artist who sadly died in June last year.

IN THE KNOW 

Exhibited alongside the monumental 10-metre long artwork are Rego’s rough drawings of the original sitters who represent the primary female figures such as Saint Catherine, Saint Cecilia, Delilah and Mary Magdalene all with personal references to help appreciate her thought process.