Fine Art Blog

Category: Famous Artists

  • Jack Vettriano New limited editions & an auction

    Scottish artist Jack Vettriano has recently released two new limited edition prints, released to galleries by his new publisher, Demontfort Fine Art of the UK.

    Jack Vettriano is possibly Scotland’s most famous living artist. His paintings have a ’film noir’ context to them and often display nude or romantic themes. Vettriano’s work has been published in print (unlimited) format for many years, certainly within the UK and whether a person has knowledge of the artist or not, his work is instantly recognizable to most.

    The first of his new Limited Edition prints is ‘The Tourist Trap’:

    The Tourist Trap by artist Jack Vettriano

    I find his work to be thought evoking and provocative and he is the master of this style of painting. I am pleased that more limited editions are being produced, as many people have expressed an interest in his ‘collectable’ (limited edition) artwork but obviously not everyone has half a million £ sterling to spend!: On 21 April 2004 the original canvas of ‘The Singing Butler’ sold at auction for £744,500.

    The second new Limited Edition print is ‘The Defenders Of Virtue’:

    The Defenders Of Virtue by artist Jack Vettriano

    In related news, Sotheby’s auction house are auctioning one of Vettriano’s paintings: ‘Bluebird At Bonneville’ on 29th August 2007 with an estimate of £400,000 to £600,000 GBP Sterling.

    Here is a link to the auction on Sotheby’s website
    (You need to create a free account to browse website)
    The auctioning of Jack Vettriano’s ‘Bluebird At Bonneville’

    Image of ‘Bluebird At Bonneville’:

    Bluebird At Bonneville by artist Jack Vettriano

    Full Title & Address of the auction:
    Sotheby’s ‘Scottish & Sporting Pictures,’ lot 231, 29th August 2007, Gleneagles Hotel, London

    thank you

    Russell

  • Rolf Harris – ‘Blue Elvis’ new Limited Edition print

    Popular Australian born artist Rolf Harris has released a new Limited Edition print for July 2007, his first this year, to the UK and Worldwide art market. ‘Blue Elvis’ is a fitting tribute to the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley and was painted to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Elvis’s passing in 1977. Rolf talks about what made him paint Elvis:

    Blue Elvis by artist Rolf Harris

    ‘My Wife and I have a very dear friend who has been a huge Elvis Presley fan since he was a child. He seems to know every song that Elvis ever sang, let along recorded. In conversation with him a couple of years ago, I found out, to my amazement, that it would soon be thirty years since Elvis passed away and I thought that this remarkable man, on stage, in his trademark white jumpsuit, would make a wonderful painting.

    Photograph of artist Rolf Harris

    Well, to cut a long story short, I did the painting as a celebration of his life and I’m really proud of if it. I hope you fell that it captures the king as he is best remembered.’

    Personally I think ‘Blue Elvis’ reveals Rolf Harris’s versatility as a painter and this is an outstanding figurative piece of work in its own right; the fact that it is a tribute to such a beloved icon makes it even more satisfying to me.

    thank you

    Russell

  • Impressionist and Modern Art auction at Christie’s Fine Art Auction House (London)

    On 18th of June a sale of ‘Impressionist and Modern Art’ at Christie’s Art Auction House, London, reached a landmark total for value of art sold: £121,127,200/ $239,952,983 / €178,056,984, beating the all time total for an auction sale in Europe. I think the total is incredible & shows how strong the top end of the World’s art market remains & the demand for the French impressionist Claude Monet’s work. (see below)

    Some interesting stats as well; buyers by country (by lot) were:
    Europe (excluding UK) 56%, United Kingdom (UK) 22%, Americas 21%, Asia 1%.

    ‘Waterloo Bridge, temps couvert, 1904′ by Claude Monet:

    Waterloo Bridge, temps couvert by artist Claude Monet

    ‘Waterloo Bridge, temps couvert, 1904′ by Claude Monet (1840-1926) was the top lot of the evening was which sold for £17,940,000/ $35,539,140 / €26,497,380, the second highest price reached for a Monet in £ Sterling at an auction & the highest ever Dollar $ price.

    The evening’s auctioneer Jussi Pylkkänen, who is also President of Christie’s Europe, stated:

    “This evening’s sale at Christie’s was a landmark event in the history of the art market, realising the highest total for any auction ever held in Europe. The international art market congregated at Christie’s saleroom in London this evening as an ever increasing international group of collectors fought for the exceptional selection of works. The top work of the sale was bought by a private American collector, with 6 of the other top 10 works were won by private European collectors.

    ‘Les arceaux de roses, Giverny (Les arceaux fleuris), 1913’ by Claude Monet:

    Les arceaux de roses, Giverny (Les arceaux fleuris) by artist Claude Monet

    The above painting: ‘Les arceaux de roses, Giverny (Les arceaux fleuris)’ by Claude Monet was lot 11. Painted in 1913, this oil on canvas is 32 ¼’’ x 37’’ inches in size and was estimated at £9,000,000 – 12,000,000. In the end it sold for a staggering: £8,980,000/ $17,789,380/ €13,263,460.

    Olivier Camu, International Director and Head of Impressionist and Modern Art at Christie’s, London stated:

    “Today’s results reflect the continuing confidence and depth of the art market, with thirty works selling for over £1 million and forty-six works over $1 million. The results underlines Christie’s position as the world’s leading art business as we continue to present the best works of art and to invest in the new markets of Russia, Asia and the Middle East, as well as the traditional markets of Europe and North America. We look forward to tomorrow’s Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sales as well as to Wednesday’s Evening Sale of Post War & Contemporary Art.”

    Further reading/images:

    http://www.christies.com/features/jun07/7404/overview.asp
    http://www.christies.com/features/jun07/7404/gallery/overview.asp

    thank you

    Russell

  • Pop Art Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery

    ‘Pop Art Portraits’ at the National Portrait Gallery (Wolfson & Ground Floor Galleries)
    11th October 2007 to – 20th January 2008

    Starting in October 2007 British and American artists of the Pop Art era will have their work on display side by side at ‘Pop Art Portraits’ at the National Portrait Gallery in London. This is sure to be an exciting and well attended display, with works including UK artists David Hockney, Peter Blake & Richard Hamilton and from the USA: Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Ray Johnson & Richard Hamilton and art portraits featuring Elvis, John F Kennedy & Marilyn Monroe to name but a few.

    Marilyn Monroe, Orange by artist Andy Warhol

    In the first in a series of exhibitions on Pop portraits -The National Portrait Gallery will see a lay ‘chapel’ in honour of Marilyn Monroe, created. This will bring comparisons to a 1960’s New York art exhibition that took place a few years after her death, where she was celebrated as the patron saint of celebrity culture.

    Infact the exhibition will contain 16 pieces which were actually part of a 1967 display in New York where UK and US artists jointly showed their works in honour of the Hollywood Idol.

    Oedipus (Elvis Johnson #1) by artist Ray Johnson

    Sandy Nairne, the NPG director, said that this era was significant in the history of portraiture, blazing a trail for the cutting edge artists of today, such as Sam Taylor.

    The NPG curator, Paul Moorhouse, has spent almost 5 years gathering pieces for the exhibition. But with work such as Richard Hamilton’s: a portrait of John F Kennedy as an astronaut with the quote “together let us touch the stars” from his famous speech, nearby to his portrait of Hugh Gaitskell, showing Hamilton’s anger at his commitment of the Labour party to nuclear weapons, Paul Moorhouse states:

    “It will be a double-edged exhibition….Nobody could say that pop art was just one long party.”

    artist Richard Hamilton in his Oxfordshire studio (2003), with his paintings (right) The Sainsbury Wing, 1999-2000 and Bathroom fig 2.1, 1999-2000.

    Further reading:
    ‘Pop Art Portraits’ at the National Portrait Gallery

    thank you

    Russell