Jenny Saville
Blue-chipEgon research · Artist market profile
The market, in context.
Explore Jenny Saville’s auction history alongside the exhibitions, collections and gallery relationships behind the market.
Institutional research
Collections & exhibitions
Read holdings, exhibition history and their qualifications in context.
Read the institutional research →
Egon investment scores
Market position
Research updated
Recent auction highlight
A result from Egon’s tracked auction sales; historical auction records are researched separately. Price including buyer’s premium.
Auction highlights
Scroll horizontally if needed →
| Work | Result | Venue and date |
|---|---|---|
| Muse on Stool (Study) | $677,418 | Sotheby's, October 2025 |
| Juncture | £5,400,000 | Sotheby's London, June 2025 |
| Mirror (charcoal drawing) | £2,100,000 | Sotheby's London, June 24, 2025 |
2 further auction entries on record for Jenny Saville — inside Egon.
Pricing
- Added at
- 2026-02-01T22:31:42.629283+00:00
- Works on paper
- $800,000 average, up to $2,100,000+
- Major paintings
- £5,000,000-£9,500,000+ (million-dollar range)
- Prints multiples
- $3,000-$10,000
- Temporal context
- Historic highs achieved 2016-2018; 2025 market shows strong demand for drawings, selective for large paintings
Auction history
- Artwork
- Propped
- Added at
- 2026-02-01T22:31:42.629283+00:00
- Sale date
- October 5, 2018
- Amount GBP
- £9,500,000
- Amount USD
- $12,497,949
- Significance
- Record for living female artist at auction at time of sale
- Year created
- 1992
- Auction house
- Sotheby's London
Market trends
- Collector base
- International: UK, US, Asia (Long Museum Shanghai acquired Shift), European collectors
Market momentum
Strong institutional validation in 2025 (National Portrait Gallery, Modern Fort Worth, Albertina Vienna retrospectives) created temporary scarcity - owners reluctant to sell during museum spotlight
- Sell through rate
- 100% (from available 2025 data)
- Market positioning
- Blue-chip contemporary painter, most expensive living female artist (2018-present era)
- Auction volume 2025
- 6+ lots (partial data, major houses only)
- Estimate low GBP
- £3,000,000
- Estimate high GBP
- £4,000,000
Institutional presence
Research updated
Museum collections
Institutional validation indicators
Tier 1 museums globally (MoMA, Tate, Met, Broad), major retrospectives at prestigious institutions, Venice Biennale participation, sustained institutional acquisition activity
Career & Biography
Research updated
Career
Career milestones
Scroll horizontally if needed →
| Year | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Graduation show entirely purchased by Charles Saatchi | Launched career, erased art school debt |
| 1992-1994 | 18-month contract with Charles Saatchi | Financial support to create new works for Saatchi Gallery |
| 1994 | Observed plastic surgery operations in New York | Influenced exploration of flesh transformation |
| 1997 | Represented by Gagosian Gallery | Major gallery representation established |
| 2000-2006 | Lecturer at The Slade School of Fine Arts, London | Teaching position at prestigious institution |
| 2007 | Elected Royal Academician, Royal Academy of Arts, London | Prestigious recognition |
| 2018 | Propped (1992) sold for £9.5 million | Record for living female artist at auction |
Identity
- Current location
- Oxford, England
Personal context
Born to educator parents, attended 15 different schools due to father's career. Mother created first studio from broom cupboard. Uncle Paul Saville (artist and art historian) was major early influence, taking her on art historical tours of European cities. Became mother, which influenced series of mother-and-child works.
Artistic evolution
Started with large-scale female nudes while student, influenced by feminist theory during Cincinnati fellowship. Early work characterized by confrontational self-portraits and examination of cosmetic surgery. Evolved to incorporate abstract expressionist techniques while maintaining figural foundation. Recent work explores intersection of physical and virtual realms with saturated colors and compartmentalized forms.
Artistic Profile
Research updated
Movements and periods
Art historical positioning
Bridges Old Masters (Rubens, Titian, Rembrandt) and Modernism (de Kooning, Twombly, Bacon, Freud). Original member Young British Artists but distinguished by commitment to painting over conceptual practices. Credited with reinventing figure painting for 21st century and originating new method of painting female nude from female subject position.
Evolution of critical discourse
Initially received as feminist painter challenging beauty standards (1990s YBA context). Evolved recognition as painter's painter with exceptional technique. Recent discourse emphasizes integration of art historical knowledge, philosophical depth, and relevance to contemporary digital age.
Critical Reception
Research updated
Critical reception
Cultural impact
Work used for Manic Street Preachers album covers: Strategy for The Holy Bible (1994), Stare for Journal for Plague Lovers (2009, deemed 'inappropriate' by UK supermarkets)
Publications and media
Major publications
Jenny Saville
- Year
- 2005
- Editor
- John Gray
- Publisher
- Rizzoli/Gagosian Gallery
- Significance
- Major monograph
Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting
- Year
- 2025
- Publisher
- National Portrait Gallery
- Contributors
- Emanuele Coccia, Nicholas Cullinan, John Elderfield, Roxane Gay, Andrea Karnes
- Significance
- Comprehensive retrospective catalogue
Jenny Saville (Norton Museum catalogue)
- Year
- 2011
- Authors
- Cheryl Brutvan and Nicholas Cullinan
- Documentary coverage
- Gagosian Quarterly features, studio visits, conversations with Nicholas Cullinan, Martin Gayford, Douglas Stuart
Gallery & Representation
Research updated
Fair presence
- Art fair participation
- Gagosian presentations at Art Basel Paris (2024), major international fairs
Representation
- Market positioning
- Represented by top-tier gallery alongside artists like Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Richard Serra, Ed Ruscha - signals blue-chip status
Exhibition history with gagosian
- Territories (1999, New York)
- Closed Contact with Glen Luchford (2002, Beverly Hills)
- Migrants (2003, New York)
- Erota (2016, London)
- Ancestors (2018, New York)
- Multiple shows Paris, London, Hong Kong (2019-2024)
Sources & research notes
Egon’s artist research combines historical auction records, recent sales, institutional history, critical reception and gallery information. Researched auction records and auction highlights are identified separately.
Read prices with their work, sale date, currency and stated basis. Egon’s market assessments are distinct from reported auction results.
Reference: Egon, “Jenny Saville: Market Intelligence & Investment Profile.”
Research updates by section
These dates show when Egon’s research sections were updated. Source retrieval dates, where supplied above, refer to individual evidence notes.
Ranking updated . Research sections follow their own update dates.
This is what the market knows about Jenny Saville. What Egon can also tell you: whether Jenny Saville fits your portfolio — based on your existing holdings, budget, and investment timeline.
Get personalized analysisActive market signals
Inside Egon
Signal timeline & strength analysis
Gallery moves, auction records, institutional acquisitions, price milestones — tracked over 90 days
Full signal timeline, strength analysis, and alert configuration for Jenny Saville.
Collector demographics & buyer analysis
Geographic distribution, institutional vs. private buyers, collector profiles, and secondary market activity
Who is collecting Jenny Saville? Geographic distribution, institutional vs. private buyers, and collector profile analysis.
Personalized acquisition strategy
Optimal entry points, comparable pricing analysis, timing recommendations, and portfolio fit assessment
Personalized acquisition strategy for Jenny Saville based on your budget, timeline, and collection goals.
Go deeper with personalized intelligence
You now have Egon's market assessment of Jenny Saville. The next question is personal: does this artist belong in your collection? Egon analyzes collection fit based on your aesthetic thesis, existing holdings, budget, and investment goals — delivering acquisition strategies no public index can provide.