It was with great sadness, that Universidade NOVA de Lisboa received the news of Paula Rego’s death, to whose family and friends we send our deepest condolences.
“Paula Rego is an inescapable name in Portuguese culture and her legacy will be inscribed not only in the History of Portugal but also in Contemporary History”, recalls João Sàágua, Rector of NOVA.
One of the best known names in Portuguese painting, Paula Rego was, in 2021, considered one of the 25 most influential women of the year by the Financial Times. Among the many distinctions she has received over the course of her 87 years, she was awarded the Grã-Cruz (Grand Cross) of the Ordem Militar de Sant’Iago da Espada, in 2004, the Grande Prémio Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, in 2013, and the rank of Officer awarded by Queen Elizabeth II for her contribution to the arts.