Drawing for ‘The Dance’ 1988

Curator: Paula Rego, born in 1935, made this drawing for ‘The Dance’ which is held at the Tate. There's a raw energy to it, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Absolutely! The sepia ink gives it a ghostly feel, and the paper looks almost absorbent, as if the dance is seeping into it. Curator: Rego uses dance as a powerful symbol—often tied to ritual and collective memory. It's a motif that speaks to deeper psychological states. Editor: I’m drawn to the visible process. You can almost see Rego layering the washes, building up the shadows to create that dramatic backdrop. Curator: It evokes a sense of primal community, that circle. Their dresses seem to echo the movement, but also confine them. Editor: And the materials themselves – ink and paper – become collaborators, almost actors, in creating this mood. Curator: It’s fascinating how simple means can be so evocative. Editor: Indeed! The way Rego manipulates ink and form to create something both delicate and fiercely expressive is quite powerful.