Singing Butler painter Jack Vettriano died aged 73: Born as Jack Hoggan in Methil, Fife, Vettriano was discovered dead in his Nice flat on Saturday, according to his publicist. As far as is known, his death did not occur under any unusual circumstances.
It is believed that his death did not occur under any unusual circumstances. The self-taught artist Vettriano’s most well-known piece, which was auctioned off in 2004, set a Scottish record and became the best-selling art print in the United Kingdom.
Due to the widespread recognition of his artwork, exhibitions were held in Edinburgh, London, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, and New York. Among his most well-known paintings is The Singing Butler, which was a best-seller in Britain in 1992 and depicts a sophisticated couple dancing on a storm-tossed beach with their butler and maid.
The Singing Butler, his most famous piece, shows a sophisticated couple dancing on a storm-tossed beach with their maid and butler by their sides. Reproductions of the picture became the best-selling art print in the UK when it sold at auction in 2004 for £744,800, a Scottish record at the time.
November 1951 was the birth month of Jack Vettriano. The Singing Butler was maybe his best-known piece. The public does not know Vettriano’s net worth, yet his paintings could fetch up to £500,000 at auction.
He painted separate portraits of Billy Connolly in 2017 as part of a group that also included John Byrne and Rachel Maclean. He passed away in his Nice, France, flat in March 2025.
After graduating from high school at the age of 15 to pursue a career as a mining engineer, Vettriano began painting after receiving a box of watercolours for his 21st birthday from a girlfriend.
Drawing inspiration from the artwork at Kirkcaldy Galleries, the self-taught artist studied the paintings of artists like Samuel Peploe and William McTaggart so carefully that he was afraid of raising the suspicions of gallery employees.
When he entered two paintings in the Royal Scottish Academy’s annual exhibition in 1998 and both sold on the first day, he made his breakthrough and decided to pursue painting full-time.
His publicist said in a statement: “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.”
In order to commemorate the comedian’s 75th birthday, Vettriano painted a portrait for one of the enormous murals of Billy Connolly that were put up in Glasgow in 2017.
Crude Oil (Vettriano), a Banksy reinterpretation of The Singing Butler that belongs to Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, is scheduled to go up for auction in London on Tuesday with an estimated sale price of £3 million to £5 million. Among those who paid respect to Vettriano was John Swinney, the First Minister of Scotland.
He posted on X, formerly Twitter: “I am very sorry to hear the news that Jack Vettriano has died. He made a unique and evocative contribution to artistic life in Scotland in such compelling style. My condolences to his family.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also paid tribute, posting on social media: “Very sad news. Jack Vettriano was an iconic Scottish artist. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”