Couple of little oil paintings,trash or treasure ?

Picked these up today for practically nothing,so if they are trash,it wont hurt! Any and all input is gratefully recieved .

 

The lion painting...

 

Signature on lion...

 

I think that first one is a copy of something fairly recent. The poster I'm thinking of has the dancing couple with, off to the side, a butler sheltering them under an umbrella.

I'm guessing the lion is bemoaning his hind quarters.

 

Think the first to be a Factory painting. Second one has more potential to be done by a real person.

 

A real person who only had the front end of the lion in a picture !!

 

I like the first one, which has a 40s feel to me. Brad may be right that it's a factory painting, though.

 

The first one IS a copy of a famous painting ! The singing butler by Jack Vettriano ! I KNEW it looked familiar for some reason ! The lion one is so well done,except for his hind legs,wich looked deformed !

 

THAT is a nasty looking lion.

 

I think he just looks a bit sleepy. Prop him on a shelf and put a plant over his rear.

Perhaps the lion got tired of posing, so by the time the artist got to the back end, he had wandered off.

 

The first is a loving copy of a well known contemporary poster/print by John Vettriano, "Singing Butler."

I believe he's quoted as saying he hopes he is not only remembered for "Singing Butler!" but if you love it, it's a treasure!

John Vettriano Wiki

 

No gentleman would treat a butler and housemaid like that.

It's one of the things footmen are for.

 

Thank you, Carson!

 

Good call Scout !!!!
I am impressed .....

 

I think both Bob and Johnny had already figured this out a few posts before. It is good to have the visual confirmation. I knew I had seen this and various knock-offs before.

 

Yes , of course you're right !

 

Yes - they did get it and I didn't read thru the whole thread - kudos!

 

Im guilty of skimming my OWN posts ! So worry not,your in excellent company .

 

But I'm glad I looked it up - it was interesting to see how much the critics hated it, and why he doesn't want to be remembered for it only. That must be really weird, to be so successful, and never knowing if you'll top that (maybe amateur?) piece...