Monty laughs off Vettriano’s man-boobs jibe
The imposing figure of golfer Colin Montgomerie proved too much of a handicap for a celebrated painter.
Artist Jack Vettriano claims he turned down a commission to paint Monty – because he does not “do men with breasts”.
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Vettriano told a meeting of art lovers that he had rejected the request for a portrait by the National Galleries of Scotland, even though he often complains that he is not appreciated by the Establishment.[>
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But yesterday Monty’s manager Guy Kinnings retorted that the Ryder Cup golfer wasn’t letting his fellow Scot’s “man-boobs” comment put him off his stroke – and in any case he had never heard of Vettriano.[>
He doesn’t know who the guy is but he was surprised by what he said
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“Colin just laughed about it,” said Mr Kinnings. “He doesn’t know who the guy is but he was surprised by what he said.[>
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“He does tend to laugh about these kind of things. He is more interested in focusing on his golf.”[>
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Vettriano, 56, enjoys huge popularity and his paintings sell for hundreds of thousands of pounds, although the National Galleries have never acquired one.[>
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He told An Audience With Jack Vettriano at Kirkcaldy in his home county of Fife: “I was in France when I got a call from my art dealer who said there might be a breakthrough. He said, ‘The National Galleries would like you to do a portrait’.”[>
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When he was told the subject would be Monty, he replied: “I’m afraid that the answer is no. I don’t do men with breasts. And I don’t mean that as unkind to Colin Montgomerie.”[>
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He added: “I have to paint a face I like. Have you seen Colin Montgomerie’s face recently?”[>
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Vettriano, who taught himself to paint, feels shunned by the art world. But his best-known work, The Singing Butler, was sold for almost £750,000.[>
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American fans have nicknamed 45-year-old Monty – famed for his often glum expression – Mrs Doubtfire after the Robin Williams film character.[>
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The breasts jibe reportedly dates back to the 2002 US Open when a tormentor shouted: “That’s a nice pair you’ve got there.”[>
