Figure and space relations in the paintings of Jenny Saville and Cecily Brown

One of the most important elements of the art of painting throughout history has been the figure-space relations and accordingly the composition. The change in the concept of space, which is shaped on the axis of social beliefs and intellectual approaches, can be seen in the works produced in different periods. In the late Renaissance period, for example, instead of the conceptual understanding of space based on conceptuality, the illusionistic understanding of space aimed at creating a three-dimensional effect in painting became widespread. Over time, the concept of space in art has become more and more questioned. As in other Modernism movements, in Expressionism and the New Expressionism movement that emerged after it, the figure-space relations in painting have gained a different dimension. In this study, the works of Jenny Saville and Cecily Brown, two of the most important artists of the New Expressionism movement, are analysed around these changing figure-space relations. In the first part of the study, the relationship between figure and space in the art of painting is mentioned in general and the stages through which this relationship has passed throughout the history of art are discussed. Then, the New Expressionism movement was mentioned and the historical development of this movement and its reflections in figurative painting were focused on. The life, artistic stance and works of Jenny Saville and Cecily Brown, who are important representatives of the movement, are evaluated in the context of figure-space relations in their paintings.