Elizabeth Peyton's New York solo debut with David Zwirner, titled "Elizabeth Peyton: mountains in my heart (the death of Sarpedon)," opened at the gallery's West 19th Street space. The exhibition features Peyton's small-scale figurative paintings, including a new work inspired by the death of Sarpedon from the Iliad, rendered after a 19th-century painting by Henri-Léopold Lévy. Peyton, who has been an artist-in-residence at the Louvre since 2023, continues her practice of drawing from pop culture, historical figures, and personal acquaintances, with subjects ranging from musician Cameron Winter to philosopher Simone Weil.
The exhibition matters because it marks Peyton's first solo show with David Zwirner in New York, a significant gallery affiliation for an artist who has maintained a devoted following since her early shows with Gavin Brown in the 1990s. The show's thematic focus on grief, mortality, and mythological narrative—anchored by the Sarpedon painting—demonstrates Peyton's enduring commitment to emotionally resonant figurative work. The interview reveals how personal loss and literary sources like Simone Weil's writings on the Iliad inform her artistic process, connecting ancient themes to contemporary experience.