I absolutely adore this painting.
It’s a painting by Jack Vettriano – it’s called The Singing Butler and it was produced in 1992.
As I recall, I first saw it when I was a kid.
I liked it back then and I’m still enchanted with it now. Since it was painted such a long time ago it has had sufficient time to become quite famous. And indeed you probably will have come across it at some point.
It fits in with era of the nineties because they were using oils like this back then. The colors are bright and rich enough to draw you in, but also moody enough to be recognizable to that era.
The brush work is slightly abstract to the extent that it evokes a mood compelling you to focus more on the feeling of the painting rather than the details of the figures. This is a reason why I like modern artwork – it seeks to stir something inside you. And this painting is an exemplary example of that.
The subject matter is also quite noteworthy. When I was a kid first looking upon this, it never would have occurred to me that two finely dressed people would casually perform a foxtrot on a beach. It surprised my mind slightly, but in a very pleasant way. It’s one of those oddities that makes you wonder that you can do things out of the norm. These are the ideas that linger with you.
The image feels like its a memory of a wonderful day. It feels reminiscent of an older time – reminiscent of an era where things were so perfect that all you could do is dance.
I like this painting because it makes me feel at ease. It has this sense of being care-free and just enjoying life in the simplest of ways.
If I could condense what I would love to get out of life into a single image, an image that represents no worries and enjoyment – then this image would be it.
I would love to be the guy dancing with the lady on that beach. I would love to feel the cool breeze at my back and the warm sun on my face. And I would love to have such a perfect day.