Rose Wylie: Pioneering Painter Breaks Royal Academy Record at 91
One evening this week, Rose Wylie took a taxi to the Royal Academy of Arts, requesting to be dropped off at the front entrance. She wanted to see the banner bearing her name, illuminated against the London skyline. “I love it,” she told The Independent, a small act of defiance and celebration for a career finally reaching its zenith.
At 91, Wylie has become the first female British painter to have a solo exhibition in the main galleries of the Royal Academy, a landmark achievement that’s garnered glowing reviews. The Telegraph called the show, The Picture Comes First, “invigorating,” while Time Out promised it would leave visitors in a better mood. The recognition also comes with a place on The Independent’s annual influence list for International Women’s Day, acknowledging her trailblazing career.
The significance of this exhibition isn’t lost on Wylie. “I think it’s high time,” she stated, acknowledging the “poor situation” that no woman painter had previously been afforded this honor in the Academy’s 268-year history. “It’s quite unbelievable and quite, quite obscene, don’t you think? I’m glad it’s broken.” However, she’s keen to ensure the focus remains on the work itself. “I want people to respond to the paintings. Because that’s my business. That’s what I want.”
The Picture Comes First showcases Wylie’s exuberant canvases, often large in scale and brimming with personality. The exhibition features both new works and pieces spanning her career, revealing a playful humor and a keen eye for everyday moments. A towering depiction of breakfast, boldly labeled “BREAKFAST,” shares space with paintings inspired by her rescue cat, Pete, and echoes of doodlebugs from her childhood during the Blitz. The exhibition’s poster features “Pink Skater (Will I Win, Will I Win),” a dynamic work that seems to burst from the canvas, encapsulating the artist’s long-awaited triumph. Wylie’s own “RW Party Clothes” – a self-portrait capturing her in her signature style – radiates a palpable joie de vivre.
Wylie’s path to recognition wasn’t straightforward. As Germaine Greer observed in 2010, the art world “knew” Wylie but struggled to categorize her. Wylie herself acknowledged this, suggesting her work often defied easy classification, straddling different directions within the art world. This resistance to being pigeonholed, she believes, contributed to initial difficulties in gaining widespread acceptance.
Over the years, Wylie faced criticism, most notably from the late Brian Sewell, who dismissed one of her works as “a daub worthy of a child of four.” However, Wylie found this criticism motivating. “It was like a carrot. Get on with it.”
Wylie’s artistic journey was interrupted by a 25-year period raising her three children after marrying fellow artist Roy Oxlade, who passed away in 2014. She doesn’t express regret for this time, believing it allowed her to return to painting with greater focus and experience. She doesn’t hesitate when asked if she wished for earlier success. “No. Success, if it comes earlier, can entrap you a bit. If you’re older and you’ve got a lot of work done before anything happens, you’ve been much freer. I think it’s about freedom. I think you need to be free.”
Wylie’s work is deeply influenced by popular culture, particularly cinema. The Picture Comes First includes paintings inspired by Nicole Kidman, Quentin Tarantino films, and Disney’s Snow White. She recently watched Saltburn and is a fan of Jacob Elordi, describing him as “terribly good” and “an incredibly handsome young man.” Currently, she’s working on a portrait of Bette Davis, whom she considers “a great muse,” and has created a piece featuring her granddaughter alongside Mary Queen of Scots and Philip II of Spain.
Looking ahead, Wylie’s ambitions remain resolute. She has a show starting in Paris in April and hopes for inclusion in a “major, major” museum exhibition. She emphasizes the importance of museums as accessible cultural institutions, “open, free, and part of our cultural heritage.”
Wylie’s success arrives alongside a strong year for exhibitions celebrating women artists. Tracey Emin’s retrospective at Tate Modern, and upcoming shows dedicated to Frida Kahlo and Ana Mendieta, signal a broader recognition of female contributions to art history. “There’s a whole clutch of us, a mass of women. The country will be sick of women in a minute.” But, she adds with characteristic gusto, “That’s a good answer. I agree with you. I’m never sick of women.”
The Picture Comes First is at the Royal Academy until .
Read The Independent’s influence list for International Women’s Day 2026 here.