The Picnic Party (Large)

Jack Vettriano took up art as a hobby during his 20s, his earliest pieces were copies of artworks from impressionist artists. 1988 was the first time Jack displayed his paintings, submitting two canvases to the Royal Scottish Academy annual show. These two paintings sold on the first day and from then on galleries wanted his work and so did the population. His success was unfortunately the breakdown of his first marriage, after which he made the move to Edinburgh and went on to have a string of successful exhibitions all over the world. With astonishing sales of his artwork, he also gained titles of an OBE, earned an honorary degree from St Andrew’s University, and gained private collectors who range from Robbie Coltrane to Hollywood superstar Jack Nicholson. His latest works depict the qualities that have made Vettriano so popular. His nostalgic subject matter, enigmatic narrative detail, and use of colour. They are strange yet pleasurable, giving the viewer a sensation of having stepped into the opening scene of a film. Jack Vettriano is the most successful and popular Scottish artist in history and is known as ‘The People’s Painter’.