Gallery to stay but owner retires after 14 years

THE owner of Jack’s Gallery in Henley is handing over the keys to the business.

Jack Free, 79, is retiring after 14 years spent running his Hart Street gallery and framing service.

It is one of a few accredited dealers to sell work by Scottish painter Jack Vettriano, best known for his painting The Singing Butler.

Craig Smith, 40, will taking over the gallery from next month.

Mr Free, who lives near Rotherfield Greys, moved his gallery to Henley after his Manor Farm premises in Peppard was broken into and he lost about £50,000 worth of stock.

The art dealer said he has built a customer base of buyers from all over the country, with one client having purchased 25 pieces.

Mr Free said: “I was very excited to get here. I took it on a temporary basis and developed it from there. I liked the way it was laid out, it had some character, alcoves to dip into, and was in a very good position.

“I think the time has come for a bit of a refreshment. Stick with what we know sells and people like — Jack Vettriano — but introduce new themes in keeping with the general work.”

While Jack’s Gallery has always stocked work by other artists as well as Vettriano, Mr Free hopes Mr Smith will bring the “focus” needed to expand the offering.

Mr Free, who started exhibiting and selling pictures in the Nineties, said one of the best things about his time at the gallery has been seeing people connect with a piece of art.

He said: “The highlight has been when somebody comes in and really likes Jack Vettriano, and then they spend a reasonable amount of money doing up a particular area of their house and know what they’re after. We’ve had some really nice people and it’s nice to see them excited about a piece they really like.”

Having been ready to sell his business for the last three years, Mr Free said he feels it is the right time for him to move on.

He said: “I’ve been doing it long enough now and I’m 80 on Christmas Day. I should’ve retired ages ago but it was just something that was fun. I’ve done all I can now — I can’t do anything else.”

Mr Smith has worked in art publishing and galleries for almost 20 years and lives in Longwick in Buckinghamshire. Jack’s Gallery will be his first solo venture. He said: “The position of it being close to the river and in Henley was the biggest draw for me.

“I know Henley pretty well — I got married here in 2018 and have friends in the area. I just happened to see the sale sign above the gallery and that was where it all started.

“We’ll continue to specialise in collectible Jack Vettriano, and I want to create a space that curates nostalgia and romance by incorporating other artists that have a similar intrigue.”

Mr Smith said he was excited to take over the gallery due to its location and its online offering.

He said: “Credit to Jack with the gallery space and especially the Vettriano stuff but there’s a big opportunity to grow online and that’s quite exciting for me.

“But when it comes to more intrinsic things that might have more value, I think people want to touch it, feel it and look at it properly. That’s the exciting part.

“When a collector connects with a piece in a certain way, it’s quite a special thing to watch. It’s nice to know that someone’s going to wake up every day and see a painting and get enjoyment out of it.”

While Mr Smith was aware of Vettriano, his mother having owned several of his pieces, he had not specialised in his work before.

He said: “It doesn’t faze me at all. I’ve specialised in a number of different artists in the past so it’s just adding another artist to my portfolio.

“I’ve bought a number of books since we started this process a few months ago and one of the biggest things is understanding the market, so that’s something I’ve been diving into as well.”

Mr Smith added: “I think Jack’s very much earned the right to put his feet up but the door is always welcome for him to come back in.”

While the look and feel of the gallery will change, Mr Smith has decided to keep the gallery’s name for the time being, as a nod to its Jack Vettriano connection.

Jack’s Gallery will re-open officially later this autumn.