From Publishers Weekly

From January 2005, the Saatchi Gallery will hold a landmark exhibition in three parts, lasting the whole year, devoted entirely to painting. The title refers to the primacy of painting at the root of artistic expression.

The exhibition will open with the work of five of the greatest modern European painters: Peter Doig, Marlene Dumas, Luc Tuymans, Jörg Immendorff and the late Martin Kippenberger. The Belgian painter, Tuymans, has been the subject of a major exhibition at Tate Modern in 2004.These painters are regarded as the most influential figures at this time. Their work will fill the entire gallery. They will be 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 will be held in the latter part of 2005 and will consist 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, should stand as the definitive book of current art with resonance beyond the walls of the gallery itself. This project will mark the return of the Saatchi Gallery into focus following the tragic loss of key works in the Saatchi collection in the fire of last year.

Essays by Alison Gingeras and Barry Schwabsky.

Review

“Presents vivid, full–page reproductions of over 200 of the 350 paintings exhibited.” -- Library Journal

This hefty volume of more than three hundred paintings has been published to accompany the three-part exhibition of the same title at London's Saatchi Gallery. The significance of the exhibition is twofold. First is that it celebrates oil painting, a neglected creative medium in recent years compared with sculpture, photography, video, found or assembled objects. Second is that all 56 painters are alive and working with the exception of the late Martin Kippenberger, and some are still in their twenties. The result is a book and exhibition of paintings of breathtaking versatility, many employing a riot of sumptuous colour, most displaying exhilarating imaginative power and, importantly, a sense of fun in using oils. The paintings of Jorg Immendorf share the dark humour of his German predecessors Otto Dix and Max Beckmann - All's Well That Ends Well is wonderfully irreverent. The rich, complex textures of Londoner Cecily Brown's paintings, such as Teenage Wildlife, vibrate with movement, and the portraits of South African Marlene Dumas exude a chilling intensity. But there are too many fine paintings to mention here - just buy the book and see the show.(Kirkus UK)