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Rose Wylie: The Picture Comes First
Exhibition

Rose Wylie: The Picture Comes First

Royal Academy of ArtsLondon, United Kingdom
28 February - 19 April 2026Charging | GBP 21

Highlights: contemporary painting, solo exhibition

Exhibition Overview

About the exhibition

Meet the rebel painter of the British art world.

This exhibition brings together Rose Wylie’s most iconic artworks with brand-new and previously unseen paintings, in the biggest exhibition of the artist’s work to date.

Wylie’s work is alive with references to cinema, celebrities, literature, and ancient civilisations. Her cast of characters—primarily women—includes Elizabeth I, Nicole Kidman, Marilyn Monroe, Serena Williams, and Snow White. These cultural and historical references rub alongside her own experiences, such as living through the Blitz as a young girl.

Wylie found success early in her career as a painter, which she started later in life in her fifties. Since then, she has cemented her place as a cultural icon; her art, her singular style and even her paint-strewn studio in the Kent countryside making waves across the art world, fashion scene and beyond.

Wylie's art is bold and striking, and offers a reminder that life is full of small, often funny, but no less touching moments.

Host Museum

Royal Academy of Arts

MuseumLondon, United Kingdom

The Royal Academy of Arts is one of Britain's foremost cultural institutions and a major attraction located in the heart of Piccadilly. Established in 1768 and run to this day by eminent artists, the Academy is home to a world renowned exhibition program.

Royal Academy of Arts

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