1. Past History and Deaths Foretold

Chapter One begins with an identification of a centuries-long poetic tradition – the worship of vanished female icons. Lisboa then examines the contrast between Eça de Queirós’ novel’s (The Sin of Father Amaro) portrayal of the female protagonist versus Paula Rego’s “empowered rendition” of that same character; and an analysis of three of Rego’s 1960s oppositional works that allude to political regimes and their leadership through the person, symbolism, and policies.

There is an exploration of Rego's mid-1980s to mid-90s move from both abstractionism and the cut-and-paste method to a more figurative mode; the “personal over the political” in these paintings, such as the Girl and Dog series; and Rego’s casting of reversed gender roles. Lisboa further considers the topics of sexuality, violence and religion in Rego’s paintings. Rego’s paintings are analyzed in great detail, and there is a discussion of her recurring signifiers and themes, including the sea and national loss, the colonialism, and her antagonistic portrayal of the “sailing adventures of the motherland.” There is an examination of Rego’s vision of national history and the political mismanagement “with anarchy always close to the surface.” The use and purpose of distorted scale in her paintings is explored. Finally, the discussion turns to a comparison between dog and man in Rego’s artwork, specifically in terms of the actions (either nurturing or harming) of girls toward dogs. The depiction of females as dogs in Rego’s paintings is contrasted with her portrayal of males in that role. Her representations of different animals are also discussed, including wolves and their connections to dogs and man.