Paula Rego: O Vinho

To Marlborough Fine Art in Piccadilly for the private view last night of a new exhibition of lithographs by Paula Rego. Showing what the catalogue discreetly terms "the transforming effects of wine" (but looking rather more like a Hogarthian catalogue of the horrors of its abuse) the series of lithographs accompanies a short story by the Portuguese novelist Joao de Melo called O Vinho [Wine]. Waiters deftly circulated in the crowd at the opening party topping up our bumpers of champagne and we tried hard not to make a connection! The lithographs, each one of which is a story on its own, are part of an artist's book, produced in a limited edition of 100 copies and available between now and the end of September at a special pre-publication price of £650. Paula kindly said I could reproduce one of the pictures here, "The End of the Story", and the exhibition, which is well worth a visit, is open at Marlborough Fine Art, 6 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BY until 6th October. Highly recommended.