Two works by Portuguese painter Paula Rego were recently hung in one of the rooms of British prime minister Keir Starmer’s official residence in Downing Street, London used to receive international leaders. The two canvases featured prominently in photographs of Starmer’s meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte in London last week. According to the Daily Telegraph, the two works replaced portraits of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618). Born in Lisbon, Paula Rego (1935-2022) was a prolific painter whose work was inspired by literature and personal experiences, and marked over decades by her defence of women’s rights.
Paintings by Portuguese artist Paula Rego hung in London’s 10 Downing Street
image of the newly hung paintings appeared in theartsnewspaper, credited to Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street
