Viewing Rose Wylie: The Picture Comes First

Another huge moment for a rebel of the British art world comes in this major solo exhibition of work by Rose Wylie, who is 91, at the Royal Academy, one of the most significant presentations of her work to date including her most iconic paintings alongside new and previously unseen pieces.

Wylie, who rose to international fame as a painter in her 80s, is celebrated for her large-scale, exuberant canvases that often look deceptively simple and youthful at first glance but reveal a highly personal and sophisticated visual language on closer inspection. Her work draws from a wide range of sources—including mass media, cinema, history, sport, mythology and personal memory—juxtaposing figures such as Elizabeth I, Nicole Kidman and Snow White with autobiographical elements. Yet as the title suggests, Wylie is rarely only interested in the meaning of the images and more so what they can do in, and for the painting, creating a new world on the canvas with its own message and life.

The exhibition also highlights Wylie’s deep commitment to drawing as a foundational activity, her physical, tactile approach to paint, and her instinctive, associative imagery that often feels deeply observant of cultural life. Quirky, colourful, humorous and irresistible, Wylie is one of the most irrepressible and standout painters working today.