Jack Vettriano, a popular Scottish painter who created memorable works reproduced by ‘Athena’ as posters in the 1990s, has died in France at the Age of 73. The artist was found dead at his apartment in Nice on Saturday, according to his publicist. Authorities have confirmed that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.
“The last thing I am is cutting edge. I believe you have a vision and know what you want to do” – Jack Vettriano
Born Jack Hoggan on 17 November 1951 in Methil, Fife, Vettriano left school at 15 to work as a third-generation mining engineer before graduating into personnel management. He began painting at age 21 when he received a set of watercolour paints as a birthday gift from his then-girlfriend. From there, he spent countless hours teaching himself to paint, drawing inspiration from the works of Scottish masters like Samuel Peploe and William McTaggart, as well as numerous old masters from Carravargio to El Grecco.
Vettriano’s big break came in 1989 when he submitted two paintings to the Royal Scottish Academy’s annual exhibition. Both pieces sold on the first day, prompting him to pursue art full-time. His evocative, often romanticised scenes quickly gained international recognition, leading to exhibitions in London, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, and New York.
Despite his commercial success, Vettriano’s work was frequently dismissed by critics, who labelled it as “brainless erotica,” “mere wallpaper,” or “crass male fantasy.” Unfazed, he once said: “They don’t like an artist as popular as me because it takes away part of their authority. If they want to ignore me, let them. I have what I want, which is the public’s support. That means far more than the approval of well-educated art buffs.”
His most famous painting, The Singing Butler, depicts a couple dancing on a windswept beach, flanked by their butler and maid. The piece became a cultural phenomenon, setting a record for a contemporary Scottish work when it sold for £744,800 at auction in 2004. It also became the UK’s best-selling art print, cementing Vettriano’s status as a household name. The painting inspired a reinterpretation by Banksy, titled Crude Oil (Vettriano), which is now owned by Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and is expected to fetch between £3 million and £5 million at auction this week.
Though initially shunned by the art establishment, Vettriano’s legacy found its place in Scottish cultural history. His self-portrait, The Weight, was displayed at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery following its reopening in 2011. Major retrospectives of his work were held at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in 2013 and Kirkcaldy Galleries in 2022, with the former attracting over 136,000 visitors and becoming one of Glasgow’s most successful exhibitions.
Vettriano’s influence extended beyond the canvas. In 2017, he contributed to a series of murals honouring comedian Billy Connolly in Glasgow, part of a programme celebrating Connolly’s 75th birthday.
Notable figures such as Jack Nicholson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Tim Rice, and Robbie Coltrane also collected his works. Throughout his life, Vettriano was open about his struggles with mental health and alcohol and drug dependency. His publicist described his death as “the end of an era for contemporary Scottish art,” adding that his “evocative and timeless works will continue to captivate and inspire future generations.”
Scottish First Minister John Swinney paid tribute, writing on X: “I am very sorry to hear that Jack Vettriano has died. He made a unique and evocative contribution to artistic life in Scotland in such compelling style.”
Vettriano’s death marks the loss of an artist who defied the critics by being uncompromising and sticking to a style that captured the public’s imagination.