Jack Vettriano Biography
Photograph of Jack Vettriano by Richard Kalina.
Jack Vettriano, otherwise known as Jack Hoggan, was born on 17. of November 1951 in Methil, Fife, Scotland. His parents are of Italian origin. Jack Vettriano has been working for the last two decades as a very successful painter. His original art as well as posters and prints of his motifs are widely admired and collected. The style of Vettriano’s art is often described as sentimental, mysterious, and often melancholic.
Jack Vettriano is a self made man, and his story is that of a real fighter. By the beginning of the 21st Century, Vettriano sold more than 500,000 works. Most of these paintings are now in private, public and commercial collections all over the world.
Jack Vettriano’s birth name is Jack Hoggan. He grew up in the industrial coastal city of Mehil. Vettriano left school when he was16 years old, to work in the local coal mine. His goal was to becoming a mining engineer.
Vettriano began to paint rather by accident. His girlfriend at the time gave him a set of watercolor paints for his 21st birthday. Vettriano learned to paint by reading textbooks and studying and copying paintings from other well known artists.
Vettriano’s first painting was a copy of Monet’s poppy fields – still signed with the name Jack Hoggan. In 1988, Jack changed his name to Jack Vettriano, by adopting his mothers maiden name, and adding an “a” to it. In the same year, Jack Vettriano exhibited two of his paintings at the Royal Scottish Academy. The submission of his paintings aroused public interest in his work, and Jack Vettriano soon secured enough income to devote himself fully to being an artist.
Further exhibitions in London, Edinburgh, Hong Kong and Johannesburg contributed both to Jack Vettriano’s increasing success, as well as to the failure of his marriage.
In November 1999, Jack Vettriano exhibited twenty paintings at the International 20th Century Art Fair in New York. 50 British collectors attended the opening and after the first day, all Vettriano paintings had been sold.
Jack Vettriano’s most acclaimed and best-selling work is The Singing Butler. Interestingly, it was dismissed by the summer exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1992. However, the painting of “The Singing Butler” sold at auction twelve years later for a fabulous £ 744,500.00.
Today, Jack Vettriano, works in his studios in London and Kirkcaldy, Scotland. The public interest in Vettriano’s art is growing daily. There are many devoted collectors of Vettriano’s work, among them are Jack Nicholson, Sir Alex Ferguson and Robbie Coltrane.
Jack Vettriano produces new work, and reproduces his most famous motifs, such as “The Missing Man I“, “Waltzers“, “Mad Dogs“, “The Picnic Party“, “In thoughts of you“, “Back where you belong” and many others in form of posters and high-end prints.
Excellent work. I had the honour of one of my pieces published in a textbook directly underneath Hopper’s “NightHawks”. As you can well understand, I love this work.
February 17th, 2010 at 17:48Well done for putting this site together! Simple yet useful. I will buy a piece from easyart.com, since some prints are actually surprisingly reasonable (if you can call it that). Cheers!
February 22nd, 2010 at 23:03Mr. Vettriano is AMAZING!!! I dream of owning an original piece of his. The only artist I have ever really loved. There is just something about his paintings that amaze me.
March 1st, 2010 at 18:07A few years ago I thought I saw other prints that go with the Singing Butler that in effect would create a Panarama. If my memory serves me correctly one picture that would go to one side of the singing bulter showed musicians playing the music that the dancers were dancing to The other picture showed a table set for a meal. Does anybody know anything about this?
March 2nd, 2010 at 02:05Apparently I am the lady in ‘Her Secret Life’. A friend of mine bought a diary and when he opened the first page he saw this image and said it was me! Other people have since said the same. My only claim to fame!
March 7th, 2010 at 19:45So Mr Vettriano if you are looking for a model some time in the near future I am here !!
This website is really well laid out and i have always loved your work.
March 17th, 2010 at 12:42I was just wondering how this website and other internet sources has helped you as an artist? – this is for my presentation at university.
Thanks.
@ Amy. Thanks for your comment. Vettriano-Art is a Vettriano Fan site and not the official site. We help Jack Vettriano by showing his pictures and sending traffic to sites that sell his work for example Easyart and Worldgallery.
March 24th, 2010 at 13:04love jacks work have just bought(in thoughts of you) for my new living room. its the center peaces of the room I love it .
April 4th, 2010 at 10:58He has wonderful works. You need to go over to http://www.saramormone.com she hasn’t listed all her work as yet but will soon be a household name in the art world she’s an up and coming new artist so I hear. Very good I’ve seen her wonderful portraits. Thanks
April 11th, 2010 at 01:02I have been a fan of Mr. Vettriano for quite a while. I find it hard to take my eyes off any of his work. I feel the need to learn every story as each piece seems to have one that’s deeper than the canvas.
May 31st, 2010 at 06:37Mark Drake: ‘Elergy for the Dead Admiral’ features 2 violinists sitting at a table on a beach while a butler pours wine for the lady in a red dress sitting at the head of the table. I hope this helps.
June 27th, 2010 at 21:22Hello Jack,
July 3rd, 2010 at 04:34In a school project I was to do a mixed media peice using another artists work and that artists as a silent partner.
I did a mix on your euleogyadmiral mine is called Presenting the Will I am first year art student.
Hi there
My husband bought me a lovely signed print of a lady in a studio for our 40th wedding anniversary. Do you think I can find it among the list of paintings No! so where is it – he and she are having a cig and he is on his knees. The pair are in front of a fireplace.
Please let me view print this on a Jack Vettriano sight. We bought this in a Kirkcaldy gallery
July 7th, 2010 at 17:20I have always loved Jack Vettriano’s art. I have a print of the Singing Butler hanging on the wall in my lounge, and this year on my birthday my sister sent me a card illustrating Cafe Days. She jokingly said that the two women are us (with a secret admirer in the background!). I agreed, even though I’m the only one between us who enjoys a ciggie now and then. I was surprised to read he is of Scottish origin because his paintings seem to have an American style.
July 12th, 2010 at 19:23I saw a painting by Jack Vettriano in a shop which has since closed and I am having great difficulty trying to find it. Is there anywhere to find other paintings by Jack Vettriano that I am not looking?
July 30th, 2010 at 11:56I have quite a number of Mr Vettriano’s work hanging all over my home and think they’re amazing. He really is a very talented artist. I bought and just had framed yesterday “Bluebird at Bonneville” in the largest size I could get 120cm x 90cm.
August 10th, 2010 at 21:11I am now looking for “The Billy Boys” in the same size 120cm x 90cm but as yet have been unable to find this print in the same size. Does anyone here know where I could purchase this print? I would be grateful to anyone who knows where I could purchase it.
Dear sandra I have just been to a place called boundary mill at shiremoor near whitley bay in Northumberland and seen billy boys as a large print. I have just bought the picnic one.hope this is helpful .don’t know whether they do a postal service.irene mcgeorge
August 15th, 2010 at 17:48I m trying to trace a limited edition copy of missing man 1 _ any advice appreciated.
August 17th, 2010 at 02:22Dear Rob, please also go through the new works of Devajyoti Ray, now updated at http://www.devajyotiray.com. Ray is India’s best known modern artist and has already held a couple of good shows here. He is soon going to be exhibited also in New Yorks galleries. Do take a look
August 20th, 2010 at 03:34Hi could you help me to find the publishers who produce Jack Vettriano limited edition prints I have long been an fan and have come into a little bit of money since my mother past away which will allow me to purchase a print I have just found your web site and I think it is great many thanks George
August 27th, 2010 at 17:13Response for Mark Drake.
August 30th, 2010 at 17:54Are you thinking of the painting “Elogy for a Dead Admiral”
Not sure if it is what you are thinking of.