More than 30 years after the National Gallery commissioned Paula Rego’s mural for the Sainsbury Wing’s new dining room, the monumental work will be displayed with the 15th-century altarpiece by Carlo Crivelli that inspired it (20 July–29 October). The Madonna of the Swallow (after 1490) depicts a number of women – the Virgin Mary, Saint Catherine, Mary Magdalene and Delilah among them – from biblical history and folklore; in presenting a contemporary homage to courageous women, Rego based many of her own figures on family, friends and museum staff. Several of her preparatory life drawings will also be on show. Find out more on the National Gallery’s website.
Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary
La Madonna della rondine (The Madonna of the Swallow) (c. 1490), Carlo Crivelli. Photo: © The National Gallery, London
Crivelli’s Garden (1990–91), Paula Rego. National Gallery, London. © Ostrich Arts Ltd
Unlimited access from just $16 every 3 months
Subscribe to get unlimited and exclusive access to the top art stories, interviews and exhibition reviews.
![Masterpiece [Re]discovery 2022. Photo: Ben Fisher Photography, courtesy of Masterpiece London](http://www.apollo-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/MPL2022_4263.jpg)
What happens when an artist wants to be anonymous?