Vettriano’s Elegy for the Dead Admiral is a beach picnic on the sand at the surf’s edge.
A woman in red sits with her back to the viewer facing the sea. She is serenaded by two violinists and served by a waiter. The situation alludes to the death of the admiral and this woman’s remembrance. The beach in the painting is inspired by the shores of Leven in Fife, Scotland, where Vettriano grew up.
Featured Image: Elegy for the Dead Admiral (1994), oil on canvas. Private Collection