Portrait: Peter Doig - “The Painter the Painter”
In January 2023, the Scottish painter Peter Doig made headlines. And not because one of his famous works was once again sold for millions, but because he received 2.5 million dollars for a painting he did not paint. This was a compensation payment that was awarded to Doig due to false allegations. For example, a former prison guard had assigned a controversial landscape painting from his possession around 40 years old “with absolute certainty” to the artist. However, he was only 16 years old at the time and lived far away from the prison where the painting had been purchased. But the somewhat curious verdict also shows how popular Peter Doig's art is. The former prison guard Robert Fletcher was planning to sell the painting for several million dollars and thus sweeten his pension. But how did Doig achieve his fame as one of the most expensive and sought-after artists still alive?
*Read more about the 2.5 million dollar lawsuit for a work of art that is not by Peter Doig.
Nomad & exceptional artists
Peter Doig is a Scottish painter who is known worldwide for his fantastic landscapes and figurative works. He was born in Edinburgh in 1959 and moved with his parents to Trinidad in the Caribbean just one year later, where Doig spent his early childhood. He moved to Canada in 1966 and another to London in 1979. Doig's childhood and later also his painting were influenced by these frequent moves. He never lived in the same house for more than three years and attended a total of nine different schools. This nomadism is reflected in his large-format paintings, which mostly show people in nameless landscapes and in which motifs from Trinidad or Canada can often be seen.
When Doig moved to London in 1979, he was initially interested in studying as a stage designer, but later decided to study painting. After graduating in 1983, he worked first as a lecturer and later in a studio in London. In the late 1980s, Doig moved to New York and then Montreal. He became famous in the early 1990s with his exhibition at the Whitechapel Art Gallery. Peter Doig has been based in Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) since 2002. He has had solo exhibitions in leading museums around the world, including the Tate Britain (Londres), the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Scottish National Gallery (Edinburgh), the Fondation Beyeler (Basel/Riehen) and the Secession Building (Vienna).
In 2007, Doig was awarded the title “Commander of the Order of the British Empire” and in 2019 he received the “Premium Imperial” prize from Imperial College London. Peter Doig is still an active artist, but also works as a lecturer and professor of painting at the Düsseldorf Art Academy and other institutes.
Landscapes & portraits
Peter Doig is often referred to as the “painter of painters.” Because he is a particularly versatile artist who has mastered a wide variety of painting techniques - both from the present and from the past. He often uses bright colors and abstract elements in his paintings, which are characterized by a particular, emotional intensity and psychological depth. He is thus in the tradition of great masters such as Gauguin, Bonnard and Matisse. Peter Doig's work is known for the interweaving of an extensive archive of found and self-photographed images of his varied life. He also repeatedly succeeds in taking up techniques, moods, titles and themes from the history of music and art.
His portraits often deal with themes such as identity, memory, and loneliness. They show people from his own life. Including friends, family and acquaintances. Despite their intimate subject matter, Doig's portraits also have a universal appeal that has made him one of the most respected painters of his generation.
Most famous works & auction prices
His works, which often change hands for tens of millions of dollars at auctions, are correspondingly expensive.
The five most expensive paintings by Peter Doig to date are:
- “The Architect's Home in the Ravine” (1991): This painting of a house near Toronto is considered one of Doig's most famous works and was sold for around 26 million dollars at a Sotheby's auction in London in 2017.
- “White Canoe” (1990) shows a lonely canoe on a lake in the midst of a breathtaking mountain landscape. It sold for around 11.3 million dollars at a Christie's auction in London in 2007 after an exciting bidding competition.
- “Gasthof” (1994) shows an old inn in a snowy forest and changed hands at a Christie's auction in New York in 2013 for 11.9 million dollars.
- “Reflection (What Does Your Soul Look Like)” (1996) is a gloomy image of a tree reflected on the surface of a lake. It sold for around 11.9 million dollars at a Christie's auction in London in 2015.
- “Country-Rock (wing-mirror)” (1999-2000), on the other hand, is very colorful. It shows the rear-view mirror of a car and the well-known, colorful rainbow tunnel from Toronto. The painting was sold at an auction by Phillips de Pury & Company in New York in 2013 for 11.3 million dollars.
One of Peter Doig's latest works is also particularly eye-catching. As early as the 1990s, the artist began painting snowy landscapes and motifs from the mountains. The 2020/2021 created and limited series “Zermatt”, which he in collaboration with HENI Editions and the famous Beleyer Foundation Art Museum , could now build on previous successes and is available in the form of digitized shares on the FINEXITY marketplace.
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