New works by the acclaimed painter

In her painterly and graphic oeuvre, the renowned British artist Jenny Saville explores the centuries-old tradition of representing the human body. Her figures occupy an ambiguous zone between idealization and deconstruction. Drawing inspiration from the annals of art history- from Old Masters such as Leonardo and Raphael through to Egon Schiele, Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, and Lucian Freud-Saville's painterly practice is characterized by physicality, carnality, and the interplay between new and old media. Whether she is depicting history, the bodies of others, or indeed her own, Jenny Saville's work explores what it means to be human.

Details

ISBN13: 9783775760171
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 128
Edition:
Publication Date: 10 Nov 2025
Publisher: Hatje Cantz
Publication City, Country: Ostfildern, Germany
Dimensions (cm): 32(H)x24(L)1140
Weight (gm): 1140

Author Biography

As a member of the Young British Artists (YBAs), Jenny Saville (b. 1970 in Cambridge) reinvigorated contemporary figurative painting. Oscillating between figuration and abstraction, she questions representations and perceptions of the human form.

Reviews

Enormous in scale, her uncomfortably close cropped depictions of women's faces and nude bodies abound in the joy of painterly modeling, from bare -- nude -- patches of canvas to her swift, thick, viscous slathers, to dappled dry brush blends.--Olivia McEwan "Hyperallergic"
A work that masterfully reframes the traditional rodeo as not just a symbol of rugged Americana, but as a space where queer individuals can find community, dignity, and freedom. 'National Anthem' challenges the boundaries of who gets to be part of the American story and who gets to proudly stand under its flag.--Eugenia Mosquera "Musee Magazine"
At its best, Saville's work is rooted in profound emotional and human response: she probes devotion, intimacy, grief and disgust.... While honouring the audacious skill of her early explorations of the flesh, 'The Anatomy of Painting' is a snapshot of an artist in mid-career, still restless, still enquiring and pushing in new directions.--Hettie Judah "The Financial Times"