Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Round Midnight

Jack Vettriano

Name Class Date
Jack Vettriano, Round Midnight. Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Jack Vettriano topimpressionists.com/en/artists/jack-vettriano/
Artist’s dates
1951 –

Copyright This work is treated as still under copyright. Jack Vettriano was born in 1951 and has no recorded death date; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 8, 2026

Round Midnight — Jack Vettriano Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Round Midnight — Jack Vettriano

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1950

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span, counting 0 from birth.

every dated painting, decade by decade

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/jack-vettriano-round-midnight-ia-ap-393illgf-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Phthalo Green #17242a

    Catalogued palette

    • #17242A
    • #C6C4BC
    • #DD8D58
    • #565B72

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Main colour name
    Phthalo Green
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Discordant Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Subtle Color How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Jack Vettriano over the last twelve months — 11 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 28.6%1,000 visits
    2. 2 United Kingdom 20.0%700 visits
    3. 3 Argentina 11.4%400 visits
    4. 4 Australia 8.6%300 visits
    5. 5 Hungary 8.6%300 visits
    6. 6 Netherlands 5.7%200 visits
    7. 7 United States of America 5.7%200 visits
    8. 8 Germany 2.9%100 visits
    9. 9 Georgia 2.9%100 visits
    10. 10 Italy 2.9%100 visits
    11. · 1 other countries 2.7%100 visits

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Jack Vettriano

    1. 1 Study for The Singing Butler 13.3%1,300 visits
    2. 2 Mad Dogs (detail) 8.2%800 visits
    3. 3 Night Geometry 7.1%700 visits
    4. 4 Untitled (939) 4.1%400 visits
    5. 5 Untitled (113) 3.1%300 visits
    6. 6 Untitled (421) 3.1%300 visits
    7. 7 The Sparrow and the Hawk 3.1%300 visits
    8. 8 Words of Wisdom 3.1%300 visits
    9. 9 Someone to Watch Over Me (Study) 2.0%200 visits
    10. 10 Untitled (903) 2.0%200 visits
    11. 11 Untitled (445) 2.0%200 visits
    12. 12 Back Where You Belong 2.0%200 visits
    13. 13 Beautiful Losers II (detail) 2.0%200 visits
    14. 14 Between Darkness and Dawn 2.0%200 visits
    15. 15 Elegy for The Dead Admiral 2.0%200 visits
    16. 16 Narcissistic Bathers 2.0%200 visits
    17. 17 The Man in the Mirror 2.0%200 visits
    18. 18 The Red Room 2.0%200 visits
    19. 19 The Singing Butler 2.0%200 visits
    20. — Round Midnight this painting 0.0%0 visits

    Together these works take 67.1% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 289 works by this artist, of which 51 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 8, 2026

    Round Midnight — Jack Vettriano Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Jack Vettriano

    Born in St Andrews, United Kingdom

    Early Life and Influences

    Born: Jack Hoggan, November 17, 1951, St Andrews, United Kingdom

    Childhood: Grew up in Methil, Fife, experiencing poverty. Shared a small home with his family and worked from a young age to contribute financially.

    Early Education: Left school at 16.

    Early Career: Briefly an apprentice mining engineer. Later held white-collar jobs.

    Artistic Beginnings: Began painting as a hobby in the 1970s after receiving a set of watercolours. Initially copied Impressionist paintings, studying at Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery.

    Development of Style and Recognition

    Name Change: Adopted his mother's maiden name, Vettriano, when moving to Edinburgh in the 1980s.

    Early Exhibitions: Submitted work to art exhibitions, gaining recognition for his distinctive style.

    Cinematic Style: Developed a signature style characterized by cinematic composition, atmospheric lighting, and often featuring elegantly dressed figures in ambiguous or intimate settings. Influenced by film noir and pulp fiction.

    The Singing Butler (1992): This painting became his most famous work, achieving widespread popularity and commercial success. It is considered a defining piece of his oeuvre.

    Major Achievements and Commercial Success

    Commercial Success: Became one of the UK's best-selling artists, with high demand for his prints and original paintings.

    Auction Records: 'The Singing Butler' sold at auction for a significant sum, setting a record for a Scottish artist.

    Exhibitions Worldwide: Exhibited in prestigious venues across the globe, including London, Hong Kong, New York, and Glasgow.

    Royal Academy Exhibitions: Showed his work at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

    Commissioned Works: Created commissioned paintings for notable figures like Sir Terence Conran (Bluebird Gastrodome series) and portraits of Sir Jackie Stewart and Zara Phillips.

    Doctorate & Philanthropy: Awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of St Andrews and established a scholarship fund for students.

    Artistic Significance and Legacy

    Popular Appeal vs. Critical Reception: While immensely popular with the public, Vettriano's work sometimes faced mixed critical reception, with some dismissing it as overly sentimental or populist.

    Influence on Popular Culture: His artwork has been featured in books, film, and other forms of media, contributing to his widespread recognition.

    Self-Taught Artist: Vettriano's success as a self-taught artist challenged traditional notions of artistic training and expertise.

    Scottish Art Icon: Despite initial resistance from some art institutions, he became an iconic figure in Scottish art, celebrated for his unique style and commercial achievements.

    Death: Died on March 1, 2025, leaving behind a significant body of work that continues to be admired and collected worldwide.

    Where to read more

    • The artist Jack Vettriano topimpressionists.com/en/artists/jack-vettriano/
    • Similar works More works to compare topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/jack-vettriano-round-midnight-ia-ap-393illgf-en/

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Round Midnight

    topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/jack-vettriano-round-midnight-ia-ap-393illgf-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Vettriano, Jack. Round Midnight. n.d., https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/jack-vettriano-round-midnight-ia-ap-393illgf-en/
    APA
    Vettriano, Jack (n.d.). Round Midnight [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/jack-vettriano-round-midnight-ia-ap-393illgf-en/
    Chicago
    Jack Vettriano. Round Midnight. n.d. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/jack-vettriano-round-midnight-ia-ap-393illgf-en/
    Harvard
    Vettriano, Jack (n.d.) Round Midnight. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/jack-vettriano-round-midnight-ia-ap-393illgf-en/

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 8, 2026

    Round Midnight — Jack Vettriano Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Round Midnight — Jack Vettriano

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Look back at Study for The Singing Butler, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    4. What might the artist have wanted you to feel?
    5. If you could ask the artist one question about this work, what would it be?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 8, 2026

    Round Midnight — Jack Vettriano Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    Who created "Round Midnight"?

    "Round Midnight" was created by Jack Vettriano. The information on this page describes Jack Vettriano's original work.

    What is the dominant hue of "Round Midnight" by Jack Vettriano?

    "Round Midnight" leans toward a green to violet spectrum tone.

    Do the colors of "Round Midnight" appear strong or soft?

    "Round Midnight" by Jack Vettriano shows a balanced color intensity.