Hyphen 1999

"Hyphen" (1999) by Jenny Saville is a large-scale oil painting that depicts two young children, their faces contorted and their eyes wide open. Saville is known for her large-scale portraits of the human body, and this painting is a prime example of her work, highlighting the power and vulnerability of human beings. The title itself is ambiguous, leaving the viewer to interpret the relationship between the two figures and what the "hyphen" represents. This painting is a classic example of Saville’s signature style of painting, which is often described as being both realistic and grotesque.