Born in Scotland in 1951, Jack Vettriano took up painting as a hobby when he was 16. His first artworks were published under the name "Jack Hoggan" and were copies of impressionist paintings, such as Monet's "Poppy Fields." In 1988, he submitted his first two paintings to the annual Scottish Royal Academy show. Both paintings sold almost immediately.

His later works were not popular with art critics, but he is one of the most commercially successful artists alive today. His original paintings are sought after by art collectors and connoisseurs alike. Vettriano's most famous paintings, "Elegy for a Dead Admiral" and "The Singing Butler," are now available in framed, fine art prints at barewalls.com.