Doctor Dog 1982

Editor: So, this is Paula Rego's "Doctor Dog" from the Tate Collections. It's a print, and the colours are so striking! The scene feels unsettling, but also strangely playful. What's your take on it? Curator: This print brings to mind the history of caricature and its role in social critique. Rego often uses animal figures to explore power dynamics. How does seeing them as dogs change your perception of the doctor-patient relationship depicted? Editor: That’s really interesting! It makes the scene feel more absurd and maybe critiques authority. I hadn't thought about it that way. Curator: Exactly. Rego is engaging with a long tradition of using animal imagery to comment on human behaviour and societal structures. Editor: I see it now, like a modern-day fable critiquing power. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure, art opens up so much when you look into the social commentary that lives within it.