Sotheby’s recent Scottish sale revealed the weakness in the market for works by Jack Vettriano, the self-taught artist who’s work is among the most popular in Britain as posters. The Scotsman has the details:

One, a sultry portrait of a woman dangling a choice of sexy underwear, did not sell despite carrying an estimated price of about half what it fetched at auction in 2004.  Another work, Model Reclining, sold for £37,500, a healthy figure for most artists. But that was less than half the price listed for the painting on the website of Vettriano’s former London dealer. A third, The Longing, sold for less than its £20,000 estimate. […] Lyon & Turnbull director Nick Curnow said: “The prices (of Vettrianos] rose so fast and ultimately there weren’t enough buyers who were prepared to pay the top money for what was available. When that happens, prices inevitably come down. “It was to be expected, frankly, that there would be a reassessment so that those people with more modest amounts of money who want to buy can come back into the market.”

Artist Jack Vettriano Fails to Seduce Buyers (The Scotsman)