The Singing Butler

On a blustery stretch of wet sand, a couple in evening dress sways through a dance, the woman's red gown glowing warm against a heavy grey sky. Two servants flank them, a maid and a butler, each wrestling with a black umbrella that the wind seems determined to turn inside out. Painted in 1992 by Scottish artist Jack Vettriano, "The Singing Butler" plays out like a still from an old romance film, and part of its charm is the mystery. We never learn who these dancers are or why they have chosen such an odd spot for their moment together.

The story behind the painting is almost as memorable as the image itself. Vettriano taught himself to paint and never studied at a fancy academy, which made him an easy target for critics who looked down on his work. Ordinary people felt differently. Prints of this scene have sold in huge numbers across Britain, and the original canvas fetched around three quarters of a million pounds at auction in 2004. Its success stands as proof that popular taste and expert opinion do not always agree.

Worth a mention too is a small controversy that trails the work. Observers have noted that the figures seem to borrow their poses from an artist's reference manual rather than from living models. You can read that as a smart shortcut or a shortfall, but either way the painting still touches something familiar, that longing for a bit of grace and romance even when the weather refuses to cooperate.