In 2005, the Saatchi Gallery held a landmark exhibition in three parts, lasting the whole year, devoted entirely to painting. The title, 'The Triumph of Painting', refered to the primacy of painting at the root of artistic expression. The exhibition opened with the work of five of the greatest modern European painters: Peter Doig, Marlene Dumas, Luc Tuymans, Jorg Immendorff and the late Martin Kippenberger. This was followed by a show of a new generation of painters including a number of Brtish artists such as Cecily Brown and Dexter Dalwood. The final part of the show consisted entirely of the work of new young painters.
Following the success of 100, which was published for the opening of the Saatchi Gallery in 2003, The Triumph of Painting, which comes in a much larger format, presents vivid, full-page reproductions of over 200 of the 350 paintings exhibited, and includes essays by Alison Gingeras and Barry Schwabsky. It should stand as the definitive book of current art.
