“This exhibition marks Jenny Saville’s return to Venice, a city she loves, has visited many times, and is rich in the work of the old Venetian masters that she has studied for many years. It is a huge honour to show Jenny Saville’s masterpieces at Ca’ Pesaro."
Elisabetta Barisoni
Elisabetta Barisoni
Biennale Preview
Ca' Pesaro - Galleria Internazionale d'Arte Moderna
Jenny Saville at Ca' Pesaro
In the year of the Biennale Arte - at Ca’ Pesaro - Jenny Saville at Ca' Pesaro - until November. 22 - curated by Elisabetta Barisoni - is the first major exhibition of Saville’s work in Venice and documents the development of her work by tracing her career from her beginnings in the 1990’s to the present day.
"Venice represents a place where art is an intrinsic part of everyday life and where the Biennale artists of today sit in dialogue with these great Venetian artworks. It’s a great honor to have the opportunity to exhibit in Venice."
Born in 1970 in Cambridge, Jenny Saville studied at the Glasgow School of Art and spent time in the United States, shaping her early work. Her paintings began to explore the human body, addressing social taboos and contemporary debates. In America, she was influenced by artists like Willem de Kooning and Cy Twombly. Her work also engages with art history, from Egon Schiele to Pablo Picasso and Titian. Venetian painting strongly influences her use of color and texture. Rather than nostalgic, these references deepen her exploration of the body and painting today.
Jenny Saville
Saville - generationally part of the group of painters and sculptors who made their mark between the late 1980s and early 1990s—often referred to as the Young British Artists - YBA - they revitalized contemporary figurative painting by reengaging with the sensualities and the raw potential of oil, while also raising questions about society’s perception of the body. Over time, her work has evolved. The great monumental nudes of the 1990s, are joined in Venice by portraits that achieve great effects of light and color, such as Hyphen - above - a double-portrait of Saville and her sister.
Hyphen - 1999
Rosetta II - 2005-06
Gaze - 2021-24
Curator and Director of Ca' Pesaro - Elisabetta Barisoni - MUVE General Manager - Mattia Agnetti - MUVE President - Mariacristina Gribaudi
Song of Songs - 2022-23
Recent works by Jenny Saville explore themes of war and collective grief. Her Pietàs, inspired by contemporary images, present suffering as a universal human experience. Rooted in classical tradition, they carry intense emotional power. These paintings avoid consolation, confronting the raw reality of the body. Saville continues to push painting to its expressive limits.
Pieta - 2020-21
