Jenny Saville's First Major UK Retrospective Opens at National Portrait Gallery
Jenny Saville's first major UK retrospective, 'The Anatomy of Painting,' is on view at the National Portrait Gallery in London until September 7, 2025. The exhibition features her monumental nudes, oil paintings, sketches, and pastels, including works like 'Propped' (1992), 'Plan' (1993), 'Trace' (1993-94), and 'Aleppo' (2017-18). Saville, born in Cambridge in 1970, is known for redefining figurative painting within the Young British Artists group, challenging aesthetic stereotypes of the female body with dense brushwork and complex abstractions. Her work references classical artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens, and Michelangelo, while addressing themes of identity, vulnerability, and human suffering. The exhibition also includes recent pieces like 'Eve,' showing a stylistic evolution toward bolder colors.
Key facts
- Jenny Saville's first major UK retrospective 'The Anatomy of Painting' is at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
- The exhibition runs until September 7, 2025.
- Saville is known for monumental nudes and figurative painting that challenges female aesthetic stereotypes.
- She was part of the Young British Artists movement in the 1980s-90s.
- Works on display include 'Propped' (1992), 'Plan' (1993), 'Trace' (1993-94), and 'Aleppo' (2017-18).
- The show also features sketches and pastels alongside oil paintings.
- Saville's work references Rembrandt, Rubens, and Michelangelo.
- Recent work 'Eve' shows a shift toward bolder colors.
Entities
Artists
- Jenny Saville
- Francis Bacon
- Rembrandt
- Rubens
- Michelangelo
Institutions
- National Portrait Gallery
- Young British Artists
- Artribune
- Amazon
- NABA
- Università Cattolica
- D'Ars magazine
- Alfabeta 2
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Cambridge
- Milan
- Italy