Jack Vettriano began his career as a mining engineer in the Scottish coalfields, painting only in his spare time until 1988, when he decided to take up his brushes full time. Vettriano's paintings hint at stories of seduction and betrayal in a style that has been compared to some of the great realist painters of America and England. His work has been likened to that of Walter Sickert, Edward Hopper and the photographer Brassai, as well as showing influences from the distinctive Scottish Colourist tradition.

Vettriano has enjoyed great commercial success in spite of his lack of formal training. In 1991, he submitted two paintings to the Royal Scottish Academy, which were selected for exhibition, hung and immediately sold and this success led to a joint show during that year's Edinburgh Festival at the Solstice Gallery. The following year brought further success at the Academy and a sell-out first solo exhibition. Vettriano's career has never looked back from that point and such is the demand for his work that there is a lengthy waiting list to own one of his highly prized original paintings. For the less successful collector, however, almost all of Vettriano's output appears as prints, cards and on a variety of other media.

In spite of his phenomenal public popularity, Vettriano has been snubbed by the Scottish art establishment who have publicly criticised both his technqiue and subject matter.