Scottish painter Jack Vettriano has passed away at the age of 73. His publicist confirmed that he was found in his Nice, France apartment on Saturday. Authorities have indicated there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.
Born in Methil, Fife, in November 1951 under the name Jack Hoggan, Vettriano left school at 15 to work as a mining engineer. His passion for painting was sparked at 21 when a girlfriend gifted him a box of watercolors. Vettriano taught himself, drawing inspiration from masterpieces at Kirkcaldy Galleries.
His breakthrough in the art world came in 1998. After submitting two paintings to the Royal Scottish Academy’s annual exhibition, both sold on the first day. One of his most renowned works, The Singing Butler, gained tremendous fame. The 1992 painting depicts a couple dancing on a windy beach, attended by a butler and maid, and became one of Britain’s best-selling images.
Throughout his career, Vettriano’s works received international acclaim and were exhibited in cities such as Edinburgh, London, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, and New York. Notable collectors of his paintings included Jack Nicholson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Tim Rice, and Robbie Coltrane. Although his net worth wasn’t publicly disclosed, some of Vettriano’s paintings fetched up to £500,000 at auction.
Vettriano was part of a trio of artists in 2017 selected to paint portraits of comedian Billy Connolly for his 75th birthday, alongside John Byrne and Rachel Maclean. His work was celebrated in retrospectives, including a prominent exhibition in 2013 at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, which attracted over 136,000 visitors.
Upon his passing, tributes poured in, including from Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, both recognizing his significant impact on Scottish art. Vettriano’s legacy will endure through his evocative and timeless works.
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