A Public Interview with Scottish Artist, Jack Vettriano
We have had many guests over the years who have taken part in our talks and lectures as part of our public engagement work. But one who really pulled in a crowd, in 2013, was the celebrated Scottish artist, Jack Vettriano.
The Fife-born artist, whose best-known painting is ‘The Singing Butler’, discussed his inspirations and career development, during an interview in the Halle Lecture Theatre with Professor Richard Butt.
Initially starting out as a mining engineer at the age of 16, Vettriano took up art after receiving a gift of watercolours. Mainly self-taught, his artwork attracted attention when he submitted two paintings to the Royal Scottish Academy’s annual exhibition - both were accepted and sold on the first day. The following year, an equally enthusiastic reaction greeted the three paintings, which he entered for the prestigious Summer Exhibition at London’s Royal Academy, and his new life as an artist began. Since then, there have been sell-out solo exhibitions in Edinburgh, London, Hong Kong and New York, and in 2004, his ‘The Singing Butler’ was sold at Sotheby’s for close to £750,000.
After his public appearance at Â鶹ӰԺ, over a 100 of Jack Vettriano’s paintings went on show at Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow, in what was his most comprehensive exhibition ever. The exhibition ‘Jack Vettriano: A Retrospective’ included many works which had not been seen for more than 20 years.
