NOVA FCT researchers take part in the first study and restoration of a work by Paula Rego, now presented in an exhibition

“The Exiled (An old exile dreaming of his youth)”, a 1962–63 work by Paula Rego belonging to the Collection of the Municipality of Cascais / FDLI / CHPR, is the artist’s first piece to undergo an in‑depth technical study and conservation‑restoration intervention. The results of this work can now be seen in the exhibition “The Exiled: from Creation to Conservation”, opening on March 31 at Casa das Histórias.

The research, led by conservator‑restorers Laura Bacalhau and Sara Babo from NOVA FCT’s Department of Conservation and Restoration, in collaboration with Sílvia Sequeira from the José de Figueiredo Laboratory, Museums and Monuments of Portugal (EPE), and Catarina Alfaro, curator and Head of Programming and Conservation at Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, combined visual observation, multi‑radiation imaging, laboratory analyses, microchemical testing, and archival research.

The study revealed hidden collages, compositional changes, and material overlaps that shed light on the creative process typical of Paula Rego’s “painting‑collages,” helping to understand both the construction of the work and the degradation mechanisms that have affected it over more than six decades.

Over the years, “The Exiled” underwent inevitable changes: fading colors, pastel abrasion, paper fragility and yellowing, as well as deformations caused by the uneven aging of materials. The intervention focused on stabilizing the artwork through cleaning, consolidation, paper re‑adhesion, and selective color reintegration, while respecting the material and aesthetic integrity of the painting.

All decisions followed the core principles of contemporary conservation—minimum intervention, compatibility, and reversibility—in line with the scientific practice carried out at NOVA FCT’s Department of Conservation and Restoration.

The exhibition invites visitors to rediscover the work in its present form and to reflect on the role of time, technique, academic research, and conservation in preserving works of art.

The exhibition will remain open until January 31, 2027.