Jack Vettriano, O.B.E.

Edinburgh, The Edinburgh Gallery, God's Children, 1992

Anthony Quinn, Lovers and Other Strangers: Paintings by Jack Vettriano, illus. p. 60;
Anthony Quinn, Jack Vettriano, illus. p. 29

The canvas is original. On close inspection, there is some very light frame abrasion to the extreme edges with some tiny flecks of gold paint to the surface of the canvas. Otherwise the work is in good original condition, clean and ready to hang. Ultraviolet light reveals no sign of retouching. Held in a simply carved wooden frame in fair condition.
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Jack Vettriano's beach subjects are among his most popular and timeless images. His work is resonant of the golden age of cinema, of jazz music and the nostalgia of the 1950s. Although he refutes suggestion that he is a connoisseur of old movies, the romantic atmosphere of his paintings is no less powerful than the best of cinema. His suave gentlemen in casual suits, braces and rolled up sleeves recall the likes of Clark Gable or Frank Sinatra, whilst his long-legged ladies have the chic grace and sex appeal of Joan Crawford or Jane Russell. Vettriano's work has been compared to that of Edward Hopper whose paintings provide a narrative snapshot that could be taken directly from a Hollywood film. Narcissistic Bathers, like so many of Vettriano's finest paintings, is one of enigma and suggestion, the faces either turned away, obscured or blurred, leaving the viewer to invent the narrative for themselves. The composition and title of the work make subtle referenced to the work of Salvador Dali, an artist Vettriano much admires, in particular to his iconic work entitled The Metamorphosis of Narcissus which hangs in Tate Modern.