Jenny Saville Rosetta artist analysis

Jenny Saville "Rosetta"

This painting caught my eye. I love the way the painting is unfinished around the edges and the blue ground in the background changes colour as paint runs out.

I love that the blue ground continues under the face and I can use that techniques when I paint my own copy.

Jenny Saville paints, focusing on technique of content and she uses speed and flicks and layering to create a surface that floats above the canvas.

The angle of the face is interesting showing only one ear  and casting a shadow over the left side of the face.

The eyes are really quite spooky but I think there is a message behind them. I think it is a message of apathy, lack of life, the model or the artist is refusing to engage with the outside world. It recalls images by Modigliani to me. They eyes are frightening, looking blackly like a dead person. The name Rosetta give no clues as to the meaning of the painting.  

 

The colours used in the painting are a bleached version of really, as if the saturation has been turned down. they are dull greys with a hint of oranges- a complementary to the pale shade of blue in the background. I think the artist has used this palette because they want to explore  the morgue-esk skin tones.

Jenny Saville uses oil paint and this helps her create matt colours and the perfect consistency to experiment with the texture of her paintings.



Modigliani: Marie daughter of the people: 1918
(Note the blue eyes.)