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2 months ago
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The self-taught Scottish painter Jack Vettriano, who became hugely popular despite being shunned by critics, has been found dead at his apartment in Nice in the south of France, his publicist has said.
Vettriano, who was born Jack Hoggan on 17 November 1951 in Methil, Fife, was found on Saturday, the publicist said.
Vettriano left school at 15 to become a mining engineer but took up painting after a girlfriend gave him a box of watercolours for his 21st birthday.
Vettriano drew inspiration from works at Kirkcaldy Galleries, studying paintings from artists such as Samuel Peploe and William McTaggart so intently that he feared arousing the suspicions of gallery staff. His breakthrough came in 1998 when he submitted two paintings to the Royal Scottish Academy’s annual show and both sold on the first day, inspiring him to become a full-time artist.
A 2009 self-portrait was posted on his official Instagram page alongside a message announcing his death, which stated: “It is with great sadness that we share the news of Jack’s passing over the weekend.
“He was not only an extraordinary artist but also a deeply private and humble man who was endlessly grateful for the support and admiration of those who loved his work. His paintings – capturing moments of intrigue, romance, and nostalgia –touched the hearts of so many around the world, and his legacy will live on through them.
At this time, we ask for privacy as his loved ones come to terms with this loss. Thank you for all the kind messages and tributes already shared – your support means so much.”
It is understood there are no suspicious circumstances around the 73-year-old’s death.
His works received international acclaim, leading to exhibitions in cities such as Edinburgh, London, Hong Kong, Johannesburg and New York.
But Vettriano drew scorn from critics, many of whom considered his work derivative. Jonathan Jones called him “emotionally trite and technically drab”, while another writer said he was like “Hopper without the emotion, and sleazy to boot” and that “we should not make the mistake of classing him as a major – or even decent – artist” despite his commercial success.
His 1992 painting the The Singing Butler is among his most famed works and shows an elegant couple dancing on a storm-swept beach accompanied by their butler and maid. It became a bestselling image in Britain. Reproductions of the painting sold in their thousands but critics failed to be won over.
In 2005, when Vettriano was compared to Dalí, Bacon and Picasso, Jonathan Jones wrote:
“Those are all great artists. Vettriano is not even an artist. He just happens to be popular, with “ordinary people” who buy reproductions of his pseudo-1930s scenes of high-heeled women and monkey-suited men, and celebrities who fork out for the originals of these toneless, textureless, brainless slick corpses of paintings. I urge you to visit the National Gallery. Look at great paintings for a few hours. Now take a look at Vettriano. I’m not arguing with you; I’m telling you. I look at art every day and I know what I don’t like.”
While some critics hated his work, Vettriano won over several celebrity fans, including Jack Nicholson, Alex Ferguson, Tim Rice and Robbie Coltrane.
Three years ago, the artist revealed he had been addicted to cocaine, describing himself as living like “Jack Nicholson in The Shining”. “I never wanted to try anything else like heroin or ecstasy, because cocaine just hit the spot,” he told the Daily Mail. “It arouses your sexual appetite, but unfortunately it doesn’t give you the power to do anything about it.”
He became depressed and abused alcohol when an injury to his shoulder in 2015 left him temporarily unable to paint.
His publicist said: “Jack Vettriano’s passing marks the end of an era for contemporary Scottish art. His evocative and timeless works will continue to captivate and inspire future generations.”
