This is the very first posthumous limited edition release from the late Jack Vettriano (1951-2025) and his estate; these will be numbered and embossed by his estate with an official stamp.

‘The Sailor’s Toy (Study)’ is an image as evocative and erotic as any other we have seen from Jack. The woman sits in the chair in her underwear, covered only by the sailor’s navy jacket, who stands in the background; the four gold bands on the sleeve indicate he would be a captain in the Royal or American navy, so someone of importance.

She sits pensive as the man smokes a cigarette and looks on at the bed. At the side two drinks have been poured, so perhaps this is a brief encounter before his ship has to embark? As usual, we are left wondering at the scene and the conversation at hand.

I do love the use of shadow on the woman, the soft yellow colour for wallpaper and Jack’s usual brown paint for wooden furniture, giving the scene a certain time stamp for me.

Jack has many originals in his archive that have never gone to print, so we look forward to more inspiring posthumous limited edition releases. As usual as sell out is expected as this edition size is just 100 copies.