Bartolomeu Cid dos Santos: Creating in Freedom
In 2019, Casa das Histórias Paula Rego launched a new cycle of exhibitions in the museum’s Sala Zero, with the aim of presenting the work of artists whose paths crossed, in one way or another, with that of Paula Rego. The idea of dedicating an exhibition to Bartolomeu Cid dos Santos (1931–2008) had long been considered, but it was the recent acquisition by the Fundação D. Luís I of a significant part of his printmaking oeuvre that made its realization especially relevant within the framework of the celebrations of “Cascais European Capital of Democracy 2026”.
The friendship and mutual admiration between the two artists, which endured for several decades, was consolidated during the periods in which they lived in London. In 1956, Bartolomeu Cid dos Santos began studying Printmaking with Anthony Gross at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art, where he met Paula Rego, then in her final year of Painting studies at the same institution. During the 1960s, while teaching at the Slade, Bartolomeu Cid played a decisive role in Rego’s mastery of printmaking techniques. Ideologically, they were also closely aligned in the way they used their art to denounce the dictatorship and repression.
The selection of works for this exhibition was conceived around these affinities and shared experiences, reflected in the artistic practices of both artists.
More information: Fundação D. Luís I – Bartolomeu Cid dos Santos: Creating in Freedom
