Leader comment: Vettriano is a master in the art of popularity
It is easy to spot the flaws in the work of this self-taught artist, but his detractors were ultimately damning the public, for having the poor sense to like Vettriano’s work. It was not Vettriano who forced his work to wider attention and stuck it under the noses of the disapproving; instead, it was those who admired it, wanted it, and bought it, who propelled it to prominence.
Today, a poll rates a Vettriano painting higher than several of Britain’s greatest ever (‘proper’) artists. We should take that finding with a pinch of salt, but it is a reminder that whatever we think of the standard of his work, Vettriano holds more attraction for the average person in the street than many of the classics. Let his work be enjoyed.