Jack Vettriano: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Vettriano, Singing Butler.jpg|thumb|''The Singing Butler''.]] |
[[Image:Vettriano, Singing Butler.jpg|thumb|''The Singing Butler''.]] |
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Although his work is generally dismissed by art critics as being vulgar and devoid of imagination, he is one of the most commercially successful living artists. His original paintings now regularly fetch six figure prices, but he is thought to make more money from the sale of reproductions. According to ''[[The Guardian]]'', he earns £500,000 a year in print royalties. Each year a new set of limited edition prints are published, and his most popular work, ''The Singing Butler'', sells more posters and postcards than any other painting in the UK. On [[21 April]] [[2004]] the original canvas of ''The Singing Butler'' sold at auction for £744,500 — in stark contrast to [[1992]] when Vettriano painted the picture and submitted it for inclusion in the [[Royal Academy]] summer show, only to be rejected. |
Although his work is generally dismissed by art critics as being vulgar and devoid of imagination, he is one of the most commercially successful living artists. His original paintings now regularly fetch six figure prices, but he is thought to make more money from the sale of reproductions. According to ''[[The Guardian]]'', he earns £500,000 a year in print royalties. Each year a new set of limited edition prints are published, and his most popular work, ''The Singing Butler'', sells more posters and postcards than any other painting in the UK. On [[21 April]] [[2004]] the original canvas of ''The Singing Butler'' sold at auction for £744,500 — in stark contrast to [[1992]] when Vettriano painted the picture and submitted it for inclusion in the [[Royal Academy]] summer show, only to be rejected. After the painting sold, later research revealed that Vettriano had used the DIY-painting guide ''The Illustrator's Figure Reference Manual'' to form his figures, using a then unknown pose by [[London]] based struggling [[Ireland|Irish]] [[actress]] [[Orla Brady]] for the 'lady in red.'<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/you/article.html?in_article_id=509011&in_page_id=1908|title=My life as a masterpiece by actress Orla Brady|author=O'Brien, Catherine|publisher=Daily Mail|date=2008-01-18|accessdate=2008-05-09}}</ref> |
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In November 1999, Vettriano’s work was shown for the first time in New York, when twenty paintings were displayed at The International 20th Century Arts Fair at [[The Armory]]. |
In November 1999, Vettriano’s work was shown for the first time in New York, when twenty paintings were displayed at The International 20th Century Arts Fair at [[The Armory]]. |
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Revision as of 12:18, 10 May 2008
Jack Vettriano born Jack Hoggan (17 November 1951 Fife), is a Scottish painter.
Early life
Jack Vettriano grew up in the industrial seaside town of Methil, Fife. He left school at 16 and later became an apprentice mining engineer. He took up painting as a hobby in his twenties. His earliest paintings, under the name "Jack Hoggan", were copies or pastiches of impressionist paintings – his first painting was a copy of Monet's Poppy Fields.
Jack only took up painting as a hobby in his twenties when a teacher friend bought him a set of water colours[1]. This is when Jack found his artistic talent. It was 14 years before he felt they were ready to show.
Career
Vettriano's breakthrough year was 1988, when he felt ready to display his paintings in public and submitted two canvases for the Royal Scottish Academy annual show. Both paintings sold on the first day and Vettriano was approached by several galleries who wanted to sell his other work. The success and attention contributed to the breakdown of his first marriage and he moved to Edinburgh, changing his name to Vettriano, adding an "a" to his mother's maiden name.
Further successful exhibitions followed in Edinburgh, London, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, and New York. His paintings are reminiscent of the film noir genre, often with romantic or nude themes.
Although his work is generally dismissed by art critics as being vulgar and devoid of imagination, he is one of the most commercially successful living artists. His original paintings now regularly fetch six figure prices, but he is thought to make more money from the sale of reproductions. According to The Guardian, he earns £500,000 a year in print royalties. Each year a new set of limited edition prints are published, and his most popular work, The Singing Butler, sells more posters and postcards than any other painting in the UK. On 21 April 2004 the original canvas of The Singing Butler sold at auction for £744,500 — in stark contrast to 1992 when Vettriano painted the picture and submitted it for inclusion in the Royal Academy summer show, only to be rejected. After the painting sold, later research revealed that Vettriano had used the DIY-painting guide The Illustrator's Figure Reference Manual to form his figures, using a then unknown pose by London based struggling Irish actress Orla Brady for the 'lady in red.'[2]
In November 1999, Vettriano’s work was shown for the first time in New York, when twenty paintings were displayed at The International 20th Century Arts Fair at The Armory.
A series of paintings by Vettriano were sold for a total of more than £1m on 30 August 2007. The most expensive being Bluebird at Bonneville, bought for £468,000 at a Sotheby's auction held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire. The painting had been part of a series commissioned by restaurateur Sir Terence Conran for the Bluebird Club.
Vettriano has studios in Scotland and London. He was represented by the Portland Gallery, London from 1993 to 2007 and counts Jack Nicholson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Madonna, Sir Tim Rice and Robbie Coltrane[3] amongst his collectors. In 2003 he was awarded the OBE.
In 2008 Vettriano painted a portrait of Zara Phillips MBE (horse rider and granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II) which was auctioned to raise money for Sport Relief. The event was featured in a BBC programme Sport Portraits' shown on March 10th 2008.
Controversy
In October 2005, it was "discovered" that figures in some of Vettriano's paintings, including The Singing Butler, were based on figures from an artists' reference manual, The Illustrator's Figure Reference Manual.[1] This revelation did little to tarnish Vettriano's reputation, however, as he has never denied being self-taught. In his early years he didn't have the financial resources to hire models.
Vettriano was represented for many years by the Portland Gallery but in 2007 he parted company with them . Fans of Vettriano can buy open edition prints , limited edition prints and paintings.Prices range from £10 for a small print to £65,000 for an original painting
Collaborations
Alongside fellow Fifer, author Ian Rankin, Vettriano made a cameo appearance in a video made with the Scottish indie band, Saint Jude's Infirmary, made for BBC Scotland's 'The Music Show'. The video was filmed on Portobello Beach in Edinburgh and included visual references to two of Vettriano's most famous paintings, Elegy for a Dead Admiral and The Singing Butler.[4] The lyrics of the track Goodbye Jack Vettriano were written by band member, Grant Campbell, whilst he was homesick, away in Rotterdam and on seeing a Vettriano print on a pub wall.
Vettriano became a fan of the band after hearing their first album, Happy Healthy Lucky Month and was inspired by the lyrics of Goodbye Jack Vettriano to create a painting which will feature as the cover of the band's forthcoming, second album which is due out in early 2008[5] and for which both Vettriano and Rankin have contributed spoken word pieces.
Philanthropy and personal life
In January 2008 Vettriano donated a painting, [6]'Study for Bluebird at Bonneville', to a charity auction at the London Art Fair to raise funds for the Terrence Higgins Trust. The painting, which was one of the studies for the iconic painting 'Bluebird at Bonneville', was sold for £32,000 and was the highest achieving lot of the night.
In 2004 Vettriano set up a scholarship for St Andrew's University to fund a student who would not be able to attend university otherwise. The scholarship will be awarded every four years, the first recipient of which began their studies in September 2004.
The endowment follows his financial contribution towards refurbishing the Students Association's Old Union Coffee Bar in 2002 and his involvement in student fashion shows. He was made a Doctor of Letters by the university.[7]
In September 2001, Vettriano donated a painting (Beautiful Dreamer) to a charity auction, which was held at Sotheby’s in aid of Help the Hospices.[8]
Jack Vettriano painted a portrait of Zara Phillips for BBC Sport Relief in 2008
Jack Vettriano now lives in London and Nice.
References
- ^ Vettriano gallery out of the frame - Scotsman.com News
- ^ O'Brien, Catherine (2008-01-18). "My life as a masterpiece by actress Orla Brady". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
- ^ Vettriano gallery out of the frame - Scotsman.com News
- ^ Vettriano plans new painting after Fife band's love song hits right note - Scotsman.com News
- ^ Vettriano plans new painting after Fife band's love song hits right note - Scotsman.com News
- ^ Jack Vettriano
- ^ Jack Vettriano Scholarship 13 May 2004
- ^ Jack Vettriano To Be Awarded Honorary Degree 03 Mar 2003
Further reading
- Reid, Melanie (2007-08-29). "Because I'm worth it". The Times. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Gordon Smith, W (1994-10). "Fallen Angels". Pavilion Books.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Quinn, Anthony (2000-06). "Lovers and Other Strangers". Pavilion Books.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Quinn, Anthony (2004-10). "Jack Vettriano: A Life". Pavilion Books.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
"Jack Vettriano: Studio Life" is due to be published in March 2008 by Anova Books
External links
- The gallery website for Jack Vettriano (www.photogold.co.uk)
- Biography (Portland Gallery)
- In pictures: The art of Jack Vettriano (BBC News)