by Redazione 28/10/2026
Categories: Exhibitions / Disclaimer
The Salone degli Incanti in Trieste is hosting a major retrospective dedicated to Jack Vettriano, renowned for his cinematic atmospheres, enigmatic love stories, and scenes brimming with sensuality. The exhibition features over 80 works, including eight rare oil paintings.
Jack Vettriano’s paintings are coming to Trieste for a retrospective that traces the Scottish artist’s narrative universe: From October 29, 2026, to May 2, 2027, the Salone degli Incanti will host over 80 works, including paintings, works on paper, photographs, and audiovisual materials, offering a close-up look at the artistic exploration of the artist, who passed away in 2025. Sponsored by the City of Trieste and organized by Chiara Campagnoli, Deborah Petroni, and Rubens Fogacci of Pallavicini S.r.l., the exhibition is curated by Francesca Bogliolo and presented by Pietro Franca. The project benefits from the collaboration of Jack Vettriano Publishing, which continues to support the Italian tour, as well as institutional and organizational support from the municipal administration.
Awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II, Jack Vettriano has developed a highly recognizable pictorial style. His works depict a world populated by elegant men and magnetic women, ambiguous relationships, and encounters suspended in time, set in luxurious hotels, exclusive clubs, and ballrooms.
Love is one of the recurring themes in his work, depicted through a blend of romance, desire, and unease, set against evocative atmospheres. A symbol of this success is *The Singing Butler*, one of his most famous works. In 2004, the painting was sold at Sotheby’s for nearly 750,000 pounds. The scene depicts a couple dancing on the shore on a gray, windy day, while a maid and a butler shield the couple with their umbrellas. In the artist’s imagination, the butler accompanies the dance by singing “Fly Me to the Moon,” the famous song made popular by Frank Sinatra.
One of the most significant aspects of the retrospective is the opportunity to view eight oil paintings by Jack Vettriano together—a particularly rare occasion for the Italian public. Throughout his career, in fact, the artist produced a relatively limited number of canvases—estimated at between 150 and 180—many of which are held in private collections.
Even in Scottish museums and public collections, it is unusual to find more than two or three of his oil paintings on display at the same time. The exhibition in Trieste therefore offers a close-up view of a portion of his body of work, highlighting the composition of the scenes, the attention to atmosphere, and his ability to transform everyday moments into images steeped in mystery. The exhibition project, conceived by Vettriano himself and explicitly dedicated to Italy, was created with the aim of introducing the public to the evolution of his artistic exploration and the subjects that have contributed to his popularity. For the Italian tour, which began in Bologna in February 2025, shortly before his passing, the artist had also selected a series of one-of-a-kind prints, considered particularly representative of his work and his relationship with the Italian public.
The exhibition layout, designed specifically for the spaces of the Salone degli Incanti, unfolds across eight thematic sections, with a large area dedicated to works on paper. The exhibition connects different techniques, subjects, and artistic languages, offering a comprehensive overview of Vettriano’s work and his approach to creating images that evoke stories and atmospheres.
The exhibition also includes a section dedicated to photographs taken in the artist’s studio by Francesco Guidicini, the official portrait photographer of The Sunday Times, whose works are also on view at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The exhibition concludes with a video room, where a film allows visitors to hear Vettriano recount, in his own words, his artistic training and the evolution of his painterly style.
The Jack Vettriano exhibition is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday and on holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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| Jack Vettriano in Trieste: Over 80 Works That Take You Into the Seductive World of the Scottish Painter |
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