Presentation

Born in Cambridge in 1970, Jenny Saville
is a contemporary painter. She is known for her large scale portraits, often depicting
very overweight bodies. After graduating from the Glasgow School of Art she
received a grant to study in the United States at the University of Cincinnati,
which is where she found her inspiration. Talking about this period of her
life, she has said: “There were so many huge women. So much flesh just spilling
out of shorts and t-shirts. It was good for me to see it; their physiques
interested me so much."

Whilst at the head of Young British
Artists (YBA) – the movement which made her famous in 1992 – she was supported
by the famous Saatchi agency, whose owners are dedicated collectors of
contemporary art. They spotted her while attending her graduation show, where Charles
Saatchi bought her entire portfolio and invited her to exhibit them in his
gallery. Today, Jenny Saville lives and works in Oxford.

In her compositions, Saville transcends the boundaries
of both figurative art and modern abstraction. She takes inspiration from
Picasso, and sees in his works the same figures that she herself studies and
produces. She is most interested in bodily imperfections and the social
constraints and ideals around the female body which have led to the development
of taboos and warped beauty standards. Jenny Saville's interest in the subject developed throughout
her childhood; she remembers studying bodies in works by Titien and Tintoret,
and noticing the chest of her piano teacher as it pressed against her blouse,
becoming an abstract mass of flesh just like the ones she would eventually go
on to paint. In 1994 she watched a plastic surgeon at work in New York, which
allowed her to study the deconstruction and reconstruction of the body in
depth. This experience marked a shift in her art as she discovered the
fragility of the body, and her perception of flesh changed. She became more
analytical and began to explore medical problems; viewing bodies in the morgue
and examining animals. Saville is interested in both classic Renaissance sculpture
and her own daily observations of people of people pushing the boundaries of
genre, as well as the interaction of bodies: entwined couples, the embrace
between mothers and children…

Her work reveals precision and a
profound awareness of the way in which bodies have been represented across different
times and cultures – from the classical sculpture which influenced the
Renaissance to Modern artists such as Picasso and Matisse. Her paintings don't
subscribe to any trend or historic period: they bear traces of Manet and Titien
alike, each body is autonomous, uncomplicated and free to simply be seen.  

Saville uses oil paints thickly
applied in layers, and each stroke has a life of its own, containing its own
suppleness and mobility. She pushes, rubs and scratches the paints into her
huge canvases, and the finished works could almost be confused with real
living, breathing bodies.

There have been many exhibitions of her works, principally
in England and the USA, but also across Europe, the Netherlands and Italy. She
has also exhibited pieces in several public institutions such as the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Museum of Modern Art in San
Francisco.
 


Read more
All artworks of Jenny Saville

                    
                        No artworks by Jenny Saville are currently available.
                        To receive the latest information about their new pieces for sale, you can follow the artist or contact our Customer Service directly through the provided link.

No artworks by Jenny Saville are currently available. To receive the latest information about their new pieces for sale, you can follow the artist or contact our Customer Service directly through the provided link.

Discover our selections of works by artists

Need help finding your favorite? Consult our selection pages made for you.
Need to know more?

Who is the artist?

Born in Cambridge in 1970, Jenny Savilleis a contemporary painter. She is known for her large scale portraits, often depictingvery overweight bodies. After graduating from the Glasgow School of Art shereceived a grant to study in the United States at the University of Cincinnati,which is where she found her inspiration. Talking about this period of herlife, she has said: “There were so many huge women. So much flesh just spillingout of shorts and t-shirts. It was good for me to see it; their physiquesinterested me so much."

Whilst at the head of Young BritishArtists (YBA) – the movement which made her famous in 1992 – she was supportedby the famous Saatchi agency, whose owners are dedicated collectors ofcontemporary art. They spotted her while attending her graduation show, where CharlesSaatchi bought her entire portfolio and invited her to exhibit them in hisgallery. Today, Jenny Saville lives and works in Oxford.

In her compositions, Saville transcends the boundariesof both figurative art and modern abstraction. She takes inspiration fromPicasso, and sees in his works the same figures that she herself studies andproduces. She is most interested in bodily imperfections and the socialconstraints and ideals around the female body which have led to the developmentof taboos and warped beauty standards. Jenny Saville's interest in the subject developed throughouther childhood; she remembers studying bodies in works by Titien and Tintoret,and noticing the chest of her piano teacher as it pressed against her blouse,becoming an abstract mass of flesh just like the ones she would eventually goon to paint. In 1994 she watched a plastic surgeon at work in New York, whichallowed her to study the deconstruction and reconstruction of the body indepth. This experience marked a shift in her art as she discovered thefragility of the body, and her perception of flesh changed. She became moreanalytical and began to explore medical problems; viewing bodies in the morgueand examining animals. Saville is interested in both classic Renaissance sculptureand her own daily observations of people of people pushing the boundaries ofgenre, as well as the interaction of bodies: entwined couples, the embracebetween mothers and children…

Her work reveals precision and aprofound awareness of the way in which bodies have been represented across differenttimes and cultures – from the classical sculpture which influenced theRenaissance to Modern artists such as Picasso and Matisse. Her paintings don'tsubscribe to any trend or historic period: they bear traces of Manet and Titienalike, each body is autonomous, uncomplicated and free to simply be seen.  

Saville uses oil paints thicklyapplied in layers, and each stroke has a life of its own, containing its ownsuppleness and mobility. She pushes, rubs and scratches the paints into herhuge canvases, and the finished works could almost be confused with realliving, breathing bodies.

There have been many exhibitions of her works, principallyin England and the USA, but also across Europe, the Netherlands and Italy. Shehas also exhibited pieces in several public institutions such as theMetropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Museum of Modern Art in SanFrancisco. 

When was Jenny Saville born?

The year of birth of the artist is: 1970