Andrew Vicari

Andrew Vicari (born 20 April 1938) is a Welsh painter working in France who has established a career painting portraits of the rich and famous. Despite being largely unknown in his own country as of 2004 Vicari is Britain's richest living painter.

Born in Port Talbot and attended Neath Grammer School. He wanted to become an artist from the day he won £10 in a local competition in Port Talbot and went on to be the youngest ever student at the prestigious Slade School in London. There while, Francis Bacon nurtured his emerging talent, he also met the celebrated Welsh artist Augustus John.

Between 1951-53 Vicari studied painting at the Slade School of Fine Art with Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud as teachers. On graduation, Vicari started working in London as a portrait painter. Eschewing modern trends, Vicari has remained a figurative artist working in oil. His work is widely appreciated in the Middle East, France and China, conversely he is largely ignored in Britain and America where his paintings are often seen as too saccharin.

In 1974 Vicari was appointed as the official painter to the King and Government of Saudi Arabia. In the following decades he painted many portraits of the Saudi royal family as well as scenes of Riyadh and Bedouin life. It is largely due to this patronage that Vicari owes his financial success. In 2001 he sold a collection of 125 paintings of the First Gulf War to Prince Khaled for £17 million.

Vicari currently lives and works at his studio outside Nice, France, although he also owns apartments in Riyadh and Monte Carlo whilst often spending periods of time living in major hotels.