Saturday, February 5, 2011

Saturday Salon: A Favorite Painting


Jack Vettriano's quixotically named THE SINGING BUTLER. I thought it would be a good entry in this week's salon considering Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I like Vettriano's story-telling paintings. Not so crazy about his dark and often raunchy Playboy inclinations, but to each his own, especially when it comes to art. (Anyway, I'm not convinced that art can be raunchy. Still, it's the word that pops into my mind when I view some of Vettriano's darker work inspired, it seems, by film noir of the 40's.)

I suppose I'm more the audience for his stylish, romanticized and occasionally sinister, paintings.




Vettriano is also quite capable of doing more light- hearted work as in this light filled beach scene below.


8 comments:

  1. Wow, those umbrella pictures are wonderful!

    Perhaps I should find some Vettriano pictures for my English class - I sometimes show them a painting and ask them to describe it for a ´blind partner´. Most of them like this activity when the pictures appeal to their imagination.

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  2. Dorte: Thanks for stopping by today. There's a website I recently discovered which has a nice variety of paintings - all with umbrellas.

    http://bjws.blogspot.com/2010/08/on-history-art-of-parasols-umbrellas.html

    I'm sorry I can't do links in my posts, haven't figured it out yet.

    Depending on the age of your students, I would not introduce them to Vettriano since if they investiage further and go to his website or online, some of the paintings they come across might be a bit too risque for them. Just thought I'd mention it.

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  3. I first discovered Vettriano when my parents hung The Singing Butler in their living room. Quite enjoy his work!

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  4. Lisa: Yes, I do too. I don't have any in the house, but if I were to buy a print, I'd like the Singing Butler too. And the one at the bottom of my post as well - a nice sunny day on the beach. The two sinister men are intriguing, though I don't know if I'd like to look at them everyday. :)

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  5. I've always admired the singing butler painting!

    Do you blog through the blogger template, Yvette? When you are in the edit post page do you see the words "link" on the post menu bar? Just type the word you'd like to link, highlight it, and then click on word "link" on the menu bar. A box will pop up and then you write or cut and paste the URL for the link into the box and click "OK". The word will then be linked.

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  6. Pat I use the link thing to link words in my posts, yes. But I was wanting to know how to link from my comments. It's not the same thing from what I understand. Or am I mis-reading your instructions? I am hopeless about technology.

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  7. For some reason the 2nd paiting reminded me of the Barbara Stanwyck version of Dial M for Murder.

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  8. Ryan: I haven't seen the Stanwyck version is so long I can't comment specifically on that film. But isn't it funny how some piece of art/photo/object can spring a memory in your brain and you don't know exactly why?

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