Last updated: 27 October 2026
Jenny Saville is the Cambridge-born painter of monumental canvases of the body. Here you will find our take on her work and her 2026 show in Venice.
Our take on Jenny Saville
Saville paints the body at a scale that is hard to ignore. “Human perception of the body is so acute and knowledgeable that the smallest hint of a body can trigger recognition,” she says on Gagosian’s artist page.
She trained at Glasgow School of Art from 1988 to 1992 and spent a fellowship in Connecticut in 1994 watching a New York plastic surgeon at work.
Her show at Ca’ Pesaro in Venice, her first major exhibition in the city, runs until 22 November 2026.
Jenny Saville: the essentials
- Born in Cambridge in 1970.
- Studied at Glasgow School of Art (1988 to 1992), with a term at the University of Cincinnati in 1991.
- Part of the generation known as the Young British Artists.
- Represented by Gagosian; Ekkyklema showed at Gagosian Davies Street, London, from 30 November 2023 to 10 February 2024.
Jenny Saville exhibitions
- On now: Jenny Saville a Ca’ Pesaro, International Gallery of Modern Art, Ca’ Pesaro, Venice, 28 March to 22 November 2026, with over 30 paintings and drawings, curated by Elisabetta Barisoni.
- National Portrait Gallery, London, summer 2025.
- Ekkyklema, Gagosian Davies Street, London, 30 November 2023 to 10 February 2024.
Where to buy a Jenny Saville work
- We found no Jenny Saville print or edition on sale in the UK. Her paintings and drawings are sold through Gagosian, with prices on request.
Jenny Saville FAQs
Where can I see Jenny Saville’s work now?
At Ca’ Pesaro in Venice until 22 November 2026.
Where did Jenny Saville study?
Glasgow School of Art, from 1988 to 1992.
Which gallery represents Jenny Saville?
Gagosian.
Is Jenny Saville a YBA?
Yes. Gagosian describes her as a member of the Young British Artists.
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- Frieze Masters review: old and modern art at the fair.
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Main image: Jenny Saville. Photo courtesy The Broad. Framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.

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