Stories were central to Rego's practice as an artist, and few were so perfectly attuned to her focus as Charlotte Brontë's classic Jane Eyre. With its vivid mix of cruelty, a resilient female heroine, and a male authority figure whose power is subverted, it proved to be incredibly fruitful as source material for one of Rego's most spectacular printmaking projects.

In the early 2000s the artist was invited to make lithographs at the legendary Curwen Studio by master printmaker Stanley Jones. Over the following months she would create twenty-five prints inspired by the novel. These were not merely illustrations, but visceral images infused with the sombre fantasies and magical realism that define her greatest work. They challenge gender stereotypes and tackle head on the abuse of power and stultifying effects of an oppressive society.

Lithography was the perfect conduit for Rego's exceptional skills as a draughtswoman, and she experimented with a range of innovative techniques while creating the Jane Eyre prints. Some were drawn directly onto the stones in Jones's Cambridgeshire workshop, while others were created on transfer paper in her London studio. Each work is a searing testament to Rego's fierce intensity and startling originality.

Printed by Curwen Studio, Cambridge
Published by the artist and Marlborough Graphics, London