Drawing for ‘The Dance’ 1988

Editor: Here we see Paula Rego's 'Drawing for "The Dance"' from the Tate collection, made with reddish ink. The dancers, those girls, it feels both playful and a bit unsettling. What’s your take? Curator: Unsettling is spot on! I see a ring dance, yes, but also a coven, a secret society. Rego often uses childlike imagery to explore complex, sometimes dark, themes. Are they protecting something, or plotting? Notice the fortress looming behind them. It is a real fort, and it adds weight to the image; do you see it, too? Editor: Absolutely! It is almost as if they are holding hands to protect themselves from the fort. I didn't expect to see such depth! Curator: That's the joy of Rego, isn't it? Simple lines, profound stories. Editor: Definitely food for thought, seeing the darker undercurrents beneath the surface.