What started as a casual arts festival purchase in the Scottish village of Pittenweem has turned into a valuable discovery.
A Jack Vettriano painting bought for just £300 decades ago has been valued at £10,000 after being featured on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.
The oil on canvas, titled Deck Chairs, was painted more than 30 years ago and depicts a smartly dressed couple carrying brightly coloured deck chairs along a beach—a scene typical of Vettriano’s signature style.
From Fife Festival to National Spotlight
The current owner inherited the artwork from their parents, who purchased it in the early 1990s before Vettriano became a household name.
On Sunday night’s episode filmed at Hill of Tarvit Mansion in Fife, the owner shared:
“My parents bought it in the early 1990s at the Pittenweem Arts Festival.
They liked it because the couple in the painting closely resembled my dad and his cousin, my aunt Molly. I think they paid around £300.”
Antiques Roadshow expert Charlotte Riordan was impressed by the piece, highlighting how it captures Vettriano transitioning from his early to his more mature style.
Valuation and Artistic Legacy
Riordan praised the composition and subject matter, noting Vettriano’s popularity among the general public, despite his critics being less kind:
“You can see this is Vettriano moving from his early style to a more mature phase.
It’s exactly the kind of subject you’d expect from him and a really, really lovely composition.
He was always a contentious figure, loved by the public but less highly regarded critically.”
She estimated the painting’s market value at around £10,000 if it were to appear at auction.
The owner responded with delight: “Wow, that’s a lot of money. That’s great.”
Vettriano’s Rise to Fame
Vettriano first became famous with his 1992 painting The Singing Butler, showing an elegant couple dancing on a storm-swept beach with their butler and maid.
The painting sold for a record £744,800 at Sotheby’s in 2004, after an asking price of £200,000.
Remembering the Late Artist
Jack Vettriano, born Jack Hoggan in 1951 in Methil, Fife, passed away earlier this year at his apartment in Nice, France.
French police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death on March 1.
A self-taught artist, Vettriano left school at 15 to become a mining engineer but discovered his passion for painting after receiving watercolours for his 21st birthday.
Over the years, he became reclusive, with close friends noting that critical snobbery affected his confidence.
International Acclaim and Celebrated Patrons
Despite criticism, Vettriano’s work achieved international recognition, with exhibitions in Edinburgh, London, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, and New York.
His paintings have been collected by high-profile figures such as Jack Nicholson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Tim Rice, and Robbie Coltrane.
A Unique Contribution to Scottish Art
Reflecting on Vettriano’s life and career, First Minister John Swinney said he made a “unique and evocative contribution to artistic life in Scotland,” leaving behind a legacy that continues to captivate collectors and art lovers alike.