Jenny Saville’s monumental depictions of the human body are as much about the materiality of paint as they are about the flesh they portray. Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting—her first major UK museum exhibition—gathers over five decades of work, from intimate pencil sketches to vast, visceral oil paintings, offering a compelling journey through her career. There is also a nifty catalogue. Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting Hardcover – 12 Jun. 2025 by John Elderfield (Contributor), Andrea Karnes (Contributor), Roxanne Gay (Contributor), & more. ISBN-13 978-1855145948.
Emerging from the Glasgow School of Art in the early 1990s, Saville quickly established herself as a defining force in contemporary figurative painting. Saville’s imposing nudes defy classical ideals of the female body, their rough, textured surfaces rejecting polished beauty in favour of something more immediate and alive. Arranged in loose chronological order, the exhibition charts her artistic journey, beginning with the breakthrough works that first captured attention and culminating in previously unseen recent pieces. Saville’s imposing nudes defy classical ideals of the female body, their rough, textured surfaces rejecting polished beauty in favour of something more immediate and alive. Arranged in loose chronological order, the exhibition charts her artistic journey, beginning with the breakthrough works that first captured attention and culminating in previously unseen recent pieces.
What sets Saville apart is her ability to oscillate between abstraction and figuration, using thick impasto to render bodies that feel both solid and dissolving. The accompanying catalogue delves into her influences, studio practice, and the art-historical dialogues that shape her work, particularly her engagement with the Old Masters. A revealing interview provides insight into her creative process, underscoring her dedication to painting as a physical, almost sculptural act.
Featuring 45 works drawn from international collections, The Anatomy of Painting is a must-have catalogue backing up Saville’s enduring impact on contemporary art. For those who see painting as a vital, ever-evolving medium, this exhibition is essential viewing. – PCR