During the year of Venice Biennale 2026, Jenny Saville will present her first major solo exhibition in Venice at Ca’ Pesaro – International Gallery of Modern Art. Curated by Elisabetta Barisoni with support from Gagosian, the landmark exhibition Jenny Saville a Ca’ Pesaro, traces Saville’s career from the early 1990s to the present, featuring around 30 monumental paintings, including seminal works and new pieces created in homage to Venice. Running from 28 March to 22 November 2026, the exhibition places Saville’s powerful contemporary figurative practice in dialogue with the rich artistic heritage of the Venetian masters.
Photo: Mike Bruce, Courtesy Gagosian
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 honour to have the opportunity to exhibit in Venice.
Jenny Saville
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
Born in 1970 in Cambridge, Saville attended the Glasgow School of Art from 1988 to 1992, spending a semester at the University of Cincinnati in 1991. Her figurative paintings developed to include contemporary debates surrounding the body with all their societal implications and taboos. It was also on this trip to America that she encountered the work of New York painters like Willem de Kooning and Cy Twombly. Alongside her dialogue with the Old Masters, ancient sculpture and modern European figurative painting, she became interested in the fundamentals of painting that abstract painters explored.
Generationally part of the group of painters and sculptors who made their mark between the late 1980’ and early 1990’s – often referred to as the Young British Artists (YBA’s), Saville revitalized contemporary figurative painting by reengaging with the sensualities of oil painting and its potential, raising questions about society’s perception of the body.
The exhibition at Ca’ Pesaro presents Saville’s work through around 30 paintings, including many seminal works from the past few decades. Saville’s practice is deeply rooted in the history of painting and at Ca’ Pesaro her monumental canvases engage in dialogue with the great painters of the past present in Venice, creating a unique encounter between contemporary painting and the city’s artistic heritage. Saville’s relationship with the masters of the past – particularly the Italians – centres on the strong connection she continues to maintain with the Venetian School of painting. The final room of the exhibition presents previously unseen workcreated by the artist for Ca’ Pesaro, in homage to the lagoon city. The exhibition becomes a sublime celebration for the strength and power of Saville’s love and devotion to painting, while also serving as an intimate and grand tribute to the city of Venice – confirming the city’s role as a living centre of cultural innovation.
Jenny Saville a Ca’ Pesaro, Venice, Ca’ Pesaro – International Gallery of Modern Art from 28th March to 22nd November, 2026. Find more information here.
