The artist Jack Vettriano, OBE, has died over the weekend at the age of 73.
His publicist said that Vettriano was found dead in his apartment in Nice on Saturday 1 March, but there are no suspicious circumstances.
The Fifer, born Jack Hoggan, was raised by his father and mother in Methil in what he described as poor circumstances. He started delivering papers and milk at the age of 10.
He took up painting as a hobby – and the self taught artist found it difficult at first to get noticed.
Eventually when he became known Vettriano’s paintings sold at auction for high prices, but he was rejected by Edinburgh College of Art to study there. His painting The Singing Butler was sold by Sotheby’s at an auction held at Hopetoun House in 2004 for £744,500.
His breakthrough came when he submitted two paintings for the Royal Scottish Academy show in 1988. Two paintings sold on the firs today and his career began in earnest. His paintings were
Just last year a Vettriano helped to boost the funds raised by broadcaster Glenn Campbell for Brain Power, a Brain Tumour Research Charity at Bonhams in Edinburgh. Vettriano’s Portrait of the Artist fetched £26,000 at the sale last August.
Jack Vettriano photographed at Bonhams salesroom Edinburgh
PHOTO Alan Simpson
JACK VETTRIANO MASTERWORKS HEADS TO NEW YORK PRIOR TO BONHAMS EDINBURGH SALE
Three important works by the celebrated Scottish artist, Jack Vettriano from one the most significant private collections of his paintings to come to auction, will be on show at Bonhams, 580 Madison Avenue, New York 9 – 13 March. The stand-alone sale, which consists of 12 paintings, estimated at $1,200,000 – 1,800,000 in total, takes place in Edinburgh on Tuesday 31st March.
Jack Vettriano has a strong following in the United States – the Hollywood actor, Jack Nicholson, for instance, has collected his work. The three paintings at Bonhams New York are familiar from illustrated books on the artist. Waltzers (est $300,000 – 450,000), for example, is a well-known image showing elegant couples dancing under a night sky. This theme is one of Vettriano’s most characteristic and relates to the two other works on show, The Road to Nowhere (est $225,000 –300,000) and Missing Man II (est $150,000 – 225,000) which feature stylish figures on beaches.
Celebrated British designer, Sir Terence Conran, who commissioned a series of paintings from Jack Vettriano for his famous Bluebird Gastrodome restaurant on London’s King’s Road has written, “I hope his auction in Edinburgh is a great success and the Scottish art world gives his work the praise it deserves – he certainly is a talented Scotsman.”
Bonhams Head of Scottish Art, Chris Brickley, said, “It’s a great pleasure to be able to take these three important works by Jack Vettriano to New York where he has had enjoyed success in the past.”
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