RIP Jack Vettriano

[Dogtrousers]

Scottish painter of people on beaches, among other things.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y02wxgrzlo

 

[Ian H]

Competent technique, utterly banal subject matter.

 

[Beebo]

Competent technique, utterly banal subject matter.

It was almost fantasy art. From an age that never existed.
The critics hated his work, but every student house had a poster of the butler on the beach. And it made him very wealthy.

 

[Rusty Nails]

In Vettriano's words about his critics:

"They don't like an artist who is 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 and that is the support of the public.

That means far more to me than the approval of a bunch of well-educated art buffs."

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Sold the most expensive Scottish painting for 750k a while back.

Someone liked his work

 

[Tenkaykev]

In Vettriano's words about his critics:

"They don't like an artist who is 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 and that is the support of the public.

That means far more to me than the approval of a bunch of well-educated art buffs."

That brought to mind the lyrics of " Matchstalk men "

Now they said his works of art were dull
No room, all round the walls are full
But Lowry didn't care much anyway
They said he just paints cats and dogs
And matchstalk men in boots and clogs
And Lowry said that's just the way they'll stay
.......
Now Lowries hang upon the wall
Beside the greatest of them all
And even the Mona Lisa takes a bow
This tired old man with hair like snow
Told northern folk its time to go
The fever came and the good Lord mopped his brow

 

[Chris S]

Sold the most expensive Scottish painting for 750k a while back.

Someone liked his work

And it was based on pictures in art text books!

 

[Beebo]

That brought to mind the lyrics of " Matchstalk men "

Now they said his works of art were dull
No room, all round the walls are full
But Lowry didn't care much anyway
They said he just paints cats and dogs
And matchstalk men in boots and clogs
And Lowry said that's just the way they'll stay
.......
Now Lowries hang upon the wall
Beside the greatest of them all
And even the Mona Lisa takes a bow
This tired old man with hair like snow
Told northern folk its time to go
The fever came and the good Lord mopped his brow

But Lowry was considered to be ground breaking from an early age and is widely regarded as a genius and he was a member of the Royal Academy. The critics loved him. It was often the general public who disliked his work and considered it to be childish. So completely the opposite to this case.

Vettriano’s paintings appear far more impressive to the layperson than Lowry’s. But they are cliches in a very pop art style. Often over stylistic and sexual.

It’s clearly very popular, but mass market art stuff never goes down well with critics.

 

[Dogtrousers]

His paintings have never really appealed to me personally but I found (and find) his uneasy relationship with the art "establishment" interesting.

 

[Rusty Nails]

It’s clearly very popular, but mass market art stuff never goes down well with critics.

And his name will be remembered far longer than the critics such as e.g. the Guardian's Johnathan Jones

I'll bet he laughed all the way to his grave.

 

[AndyRM]

The painter you probably don't realise you've seen more of than anyone else is how I'd describe him, and fair play for that.

 

[Tenkaykev]

I'm a bit surprised that nobody has complained about the earworm I've infected you with 😉

 

[MichaelW2]

The decoration world has lost one if it's finest.

 

[slowmotion]

I'm not a fan of his stuff. It's got a cloying kitsch quality that annoys me.

I'm with Brian Sewell.

 

[Beebo]

Quite a balanced review in the Guardian.
https://apple.news/AqWCwsvkZTyyN5n30kFkAXQ