Genre Painter, Still life painter, Landscape painter, Painter, Flower painter, b. 1871 - d. 1935
(b Edinburgh, Scotland 1871; d Edinburgh 1935) Scottish painter. Samuel John Peploe painted a series of still life subjects dating from 1919, remarkable for their bright colouring, bold compositions and redolent of modernism. Peploe had used colour at its highest pitch since his return to Scotland from a period in France in 1913. By this period, Peploe was an established artist with a fully rounded sense of his artistic aims. His reputation was affirmed by his election to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1917 and by highly successful exhibitions at Aitken Dott & Sons in Edinburgh. The connection between the work of Peploe and [Scottish painter Francis] Cadell was particularly strong at this time and although the artists did not share a studio on a permanent basis, it is likely that Peploe used Cadell's studio on occasion. It is likely that Peploe kept Cadell informed of artistic advances in France and that the influence of the Fauves upon the two artists work was predominantly generated by Peploe's enthusiasm for the art he had seen in Paris in the earlier years of the decade. Peploe favoured depicting tulips, roses, and lilies with a unique sense of energy and vigour which can only be observed in the very finest Colourist works and which owe so much to Henri Matisse, André Derain and other artists working in the Fauvist circle. (Credit: Sotheby’s, London, Scottish Pictures, April 29, 2009, Lot 68).
Samuel John Peploe, British 1871–1935 - Street Scene, France, c.1909; oil on panel, signed lower left 'S J Peploe', 24 x 16.2 cm Provenance: K. C. MacLennan, Glasgow (according to previous cataloguing of the work); with Aitkin Dott & Son, Edinburgh (according to the label attached to the reverse); Christie's, Glasgow, Four Scottish Colourists, 7th December 1989, lot 334; Private Collection; Sotheby's, London, British & Irish Art, Victorian, Early 20th Century, Sporting & Marine, Scottish, Irish, 13th November 2012, lot 126; Property from a Distinguished British Private Collection, purchased from the above Note: 'Street Scene, France' was made around the time of Peploe’s second exhibition with Aitkin Dott & Son in 1909, when the artist was experimenting with a bright palette emphasising the use of white to convey light. Peploe used simple compositions and light tones to convey a sense of spontaneity, painting only the rough forms of houses, trees and people and covering the canvas in predominantly a light cream. Also clear is the impact French Impressionism, Post-Impressionism and Fauvism had on Peploe during his time in Paris. Peploe, like artists of the French avant-garde such as Claude Monet, uses a loose technique and broken brushwork and painted en plein air to produce an artwork that shows the fleeting effects of light. Similarly artists such as Edouard Manet, whom Peploe has works alongside in the National Gallery of Scotland collection had a large influence on him. In 'Street Scene, France' this influence is shown in the restrained composition that Peploe adopts. The work was previously sold by Aitkin Dort and Son, a gallery based in Edinburgh and founded in 1842. The gallery has been credited with playing a major role in promoting the Scottish artists of its time. Similar works of urban French scenes with this looser style by Peploe such as 'Etaples' are now in the collection of the National Gallery of Scotland. Peploe, alongside Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell, George Leslie Hunter and John Duncan Fergusson, was one of four major artists known as The Scottish Colourists. Despite the group not being formally organised and only rarely exhibiting together in their lifetime they received wide recognition for their work. Peploe was born in Edinburgh but did most of studies in Paris at the Academie Julian and Académie Colarossi alongside fellow Scottish Painter Robert Brough.
L 50cm (19.69 in); W 42cm (16.54 in); L 32cm (12.60 in); W 24cm (9.45 in)The work retains original canvas and period frame with natural signs of age. The painting surface is clean and stable, without visible tear, hole, heavy craquelure or restoration. The overall preservation is consistent with its historical period.All images are taken from the actual lot, fully representing the current condition.No further official archived provenance or exhibition records available. Attributed based on stylistic characteristics of the artist.
SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) THE WHITE DRESS Signed, oil on canvas 101.5cm x 76cm (40in x 30in) The Artist and thence by family descent The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, from where acquired by the present owner in 2005Exhibited: Possibly Aitken Dott & Son, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, Memorial Exhibition of Eight-Three Paintings by S. J. Peploe RSA (1871-1935), April and May 1936, no.60 (as ‘Girl in White’, 1909, lent by the Artist’s widow, Mrs Margaret Peploe) Possibly The Lefevre Gallery, London, Paintings by S. J. Peploe, May 1948, no.2 (as 'The White Dress, 1906)Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, S. J. Peploe 1871-1935, 26 June – 8 September 1985, no. 44, reproduced in black and white p.39 (as ‘The White Lady, c.1908’)The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, 20th-century Scottish Paintings, 2005, no.3Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, S. J. Peploe, 3 November 2012 - 23 June 2013 The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, S. J. Peploe’s Studio Life at 150, 30 September – 23 October 2021, no.4, reproduced in colour p. 45 (as ‘The White Dress, c.1908') The White Dress comes from a glorious series of paintings made by the Scottish Colourist S. J. Peploe whilst he was working in the former studio of the leading Scottish portrait painter Henry Raeburn (1756-1823). It shows Peploe at his most vivacious, depicting his celebrated model, Peggie McCrae, in an image of elegance and sophistication realised through free and virtuoso brushstrokes on an imposing scale.Peploe moved studio from 7 Devon Place near Edinburgh’s Haymarket station, to 32 York Place in the city’s Georgian New Town, in 1905. The latter had been built for Raeburn in 1795 and he designed an unusually large window in the north-facing studio at the rear of the first floor, with views over the Firth of Forth to Fife. It was flanked by an intricate system of shutters which enabled the occupant to control the light that entered the room.In notes that Peploe’s wife, Margaret Mackay, prepared to assist Stanley Cursiter in the writing of his 1947 monograph about the artist, she wrote: ‘Sam moved again, this time to Raeburn’s house [at] 32 York Place. He liked to change his studio every five years so to get a new shape of room, different lighting – a complete change. The new studio was a beautiful room with a big window, it had a lovely white marble Adam mantlepiece. Sam had the walls distempered a very pale pinkish grey. On the floor he put a black polished linoleum. There was a white sofa, a chair or two, his nice bureau, a throne and easel.’ (S. J. Peploe Archive, National Galleries of Scotland Archive, GMA A112/2/1)As Alice Strang has explained:‘Peploe’s new bright and spacious surroundings had an immediate impact on his work and he began to paint in a lighter key, employing a looser, less disciplined technique and large canvases … using a new model Peggy [sic] Macrae, he embarked on a series of celebrated figures studies … which reveal an interest in James NcNeill Whistler (1834-1903) … In Peploe’s images of Macrae, her elegance and beauty are secondary to the sense of execution, as he emphasised colour harmony and sweeping line.’ (Alice Strang et al, S. J. Peploe, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2012, pp.19-20).The White Dress illustrates Margaret’s description of Peggie as an ‘extremely charming, graceful and attractive girl. Sam painted her a lot. She also sat for F. C. B. Cadell, Stanley Cursiter and Pittendrigh Macgillivray the sculptor … She was unique as a model. She became any character one suggested.’ (op.cit.) Peploe’s professional standing developed apace during the three years he spent at 32 York Place. The first of his works was acquired for a public collection, when Still Life (Culture Edinburgh acc.no. CAC4/1964) was purchased by the Scottish Modern Arts Association in 1907. The following year, he showed in London for the first time, in various group exhibitions and in 1909 he had his second solo exhibition, at The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh. In 1910, he and Margaret married and moved to Paris where a new chapter in his career began.Several works from the same series as The White Dress are in public collections, including Lady in a White Dress in the Fleming Collection (acc.no. FWAF/RF26) and Peggy McCrae in Kirkcaldy Galleries (acc.no. KIRMG:317). The latter formerly belonged to Peploe’s major patron, the Kirkcaldy linen manufacturer John Waldegrave Blyth (1873-1962). Such was the importance and interest of the series’ theme to Peploe, that he was to return to it in the 1920s in paintings such as Girl in the White Dress in The Burrrell Collection (acc.no. 35.587).The White Dress remained in Peploe’s family into the next generation, descending to his son, the artist Denis Peploe (1914-93) who gave it to his wife, the musician Elizabeth Barr (1936-2025). It was selected for inclusion in both major exhibitions of Peploe’s work staged by the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, in 1985 and 2012.
SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) MORAR Signed, oil on panel 38cm x 46cm (15in x 18in) Alex. Reid & Lefevre Ltd., London (as ‘Morar’)Ion Harrison, HelensburghExhibited:McLellan Galleries, Glasgow, Pictures from a Private Collection: The Thistle Foundation, 2 - 27 March 1951, no.19 (as ‘Morar’)The Fine Art Society Ltd, Edinburgh, Three Scottish Colourists: Peploe, Cadell, Hunter, 19 February - 19 March 1977 and tour to The Fine Art Society Ltd, London, 29 March - 22 April 1977, no.36 (as ‘Morar’)The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, The Scottish Colourists Festival Exhibition, August 1997 (as ‘The Beach, Morar’) This painting has been dated to 1924.
SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) IONA Signed, oil on panel 36.5cm x 43.5cm (14.25in x 17in) Acquired from the Artist by Archibald Forbes Hyslop (1892-1943) and thence by descent to the present owners Whilst S. J. Peploe’s fellow Scottish Colourist F. C. B. Cadell was serving during the First World War, Peploe wrote to him from Edinburgh: ‘When the War is over I shall go the Hebrides, recover some virtues I have lost. There is something marvellous about those western seas. Oh, Iona. We must all go together.’ (Letter of 2 August 1918, F. C. B. Cadell Papers, National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, Acc.no.1124)And so it came to pass that, following Cadell’s demobilisation in 1919, the following year he introduced Peploe to the Hebridean island, having visited it himself for the first time in 1912. They were both to return to paint there virtually every summer of their lives. As Alice Strang has explained:‘In 1920 Peploe was nearly fifty years old, but Iona inspired a new direction in his work. Unlike Cadell, who painted a catholic range of subjects all over the tiny island, during the next fifteen years Peploe concentrated on analysing the rocks and sands of the north end and views from it, especially of Ben More on nearby Mull … Peploe initially lodged with the MacInneses at Cùlbhuirg, the principal farm in the west of Iona. Later, he and his family rented Lovedale in the village street.’ (Alice Strang et al, S. J. Peploe, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2012, p.24).Iona is believed to depict a view from Cows Rock in the North End looking over to Rhum, a panorama that Peploe and Cadell enjoyed painting. Peploe focused on the pure white sand and geological features of the foreground, setting the horizon line some three-quarters towards the top of the composition, as if inviting the viewer to enter and enjoy walking across the beach. The scene is lit by bright sunshine and is presided over by a brilliant blue sky.The painting was acquired from Peploe by his friend and patron the Aberdonian schoolteacher and His Majesty’s Inspector of Schools in Scotland, Archibald Forbes Hyslop (1892-1943) and has remained in his extended family ever since. In 1993, following the death of Hyslop’s widow, Winifred Reid, 19 paintings by Peploe were bequeathed to Aberdeen Art Gallery as part of the Hyslop Collection Bequest. They included three of Iona, namely Blue Sea, Iona (acc.no. ABDAG010712), Cathedral Rock, Iona (acc.no. ABDAG010719) and Iona, Grey Day (acc.no. ABDAG010708), whilst works by artists such as Robert Brough, George Leslie Hunter, William Gillies, Duncan Grant and D. M. Sutherland were also part of the bequest.
Samuel John Peploe RSA (British, 1871-1935) Daffodils in a Glass Bowl signed 'Peploe' (lower left) oil on canvas 45.5 x 40.5cm (17 15/16 x 15 15/16in).
Samuel John Peploe RSA (British, 1871-1935) Still Life with Roses, Apples and Oranges signed 'SJPeploe' (lower right) oil on canvas 51 x 40.5cm (20 1/16 x 15 15/16in). An incomplete still life of roses in a glass vase and fruit are on the canvas verso.
Frame: 19.69x16.54 (50.0x42.0); Core: 12.6x9.45 (32.0x24.0)A leading Scottish Colourist and RSA, renowned for vibrant still lifes (tulips, roses) and landscapes, shaped by Fauvist and Post-Impressionist influences from Paris. His mature works feature bold color harmonies and structured compositions. Auction records exceed $1.5M; 2025 average $131,800. Works held in major collections including Tate and National Galleries of Scotland.
Frame: 19.69x16.54 (50.0x42.0); Core: 12.6x9.45 (32.0x24.0)A leading Scottish Colourist and RSA, renowned for vibrant still lifes (tulips, roses) and landscapes, shaped by Fauvist and Post-Impressionist influences from Paris. His mature works feature bold color harmonies and structured compositions. Auction records exceed $1.5M; 2025 average $131,800. Works held in major collections including Tate and National Galleries of Scotland.
SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) ICELAND POPPIES Signed, oil on canvas 56cm x 46cm (22in x 18.25in) Acquired from the Artist by Lord KinnairdThence by descent to The Fine Art Society PLC, London (16748)Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2002Exhibited:Alex. Reid & Lefevre Ltd, London, A Few Recent Paintings by S. J. Peploe R.S.A., February - March 1934, no.16 FROM A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTIONIceland Poppies by the Scottish Colourist S. J. Peploe encapsulates his talent as a master of the still life genre. Having trained at the Académie Julian in Paris and in the Royal Scottish Academy Life School in Edinburgh, he made his name with a solo exhibition in the Scottish capital in 1903. Just four years later his first work was acquired for a public collection, namely a still life for the Scottish Modern Arts Association, now in the holdings of Culture Edinburgh (acc.no. CAC4/1964).Indeed, it is through Peploe’s dedication to the still life that one can trace his extraordinary professional development and success. In 1929 he explained the career-long inspiration he gained from the genre stating: ‘There is so much in mere objects, flowers, leaves, jugs, what not – colours, forms, relation – I can never see mystery coming to an end.’ (as quoted in Stanley Cursiter, Peploe: An Intimate Memoir of an Artist and of his Work, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd, London, 1947, p.73). The poise and sophistication of his still lifes of the early 1900s gave way to an exploration of the very latest innovations in French art through the genre, whilst living in Paris between 1910 and 1912. The Second World War, in which Peploe could not serve on health grounds, provided an opportunity for a deep engagement with the work of Paul Cézanne in this category. By the end of 1918 Peploe had received his first solo exhibition with the leading Glasgow-based art dealer Alexander Reid, whose company was to represent him for the rest of his life; had moved to a studio at 54 Shandwick Place in Edinburgh’s West End; and had been elected an Associate member of the Royal Scottish Academy.Iceland Poppies dates from an extraordinary period of creativity in the early 1920s when Peploe dedicated himself to the challenge of creating the perfect still life painting. His niece, Margery Porter, provided direct insight into his working method, recalling visits to his studio:“How well I recollect my Mother and myself climbing those steep stairs and arriving panting at the top to ring his bell in fear and trembling lest our climb had been in vain. But usually he would usher us in wearing a white painting coat and a crownless hat…The studio was a large one, round which I would prowl entranced, after strict warnings not to disturb the still-life group which would almost inevitably be covering the table. My uncle would arrange and re-arrange these groups for perhaps three days before he was satisfied that the balance and construction were perfect, then he would paint them quite rapidly.” (Undated letter from Margery Porter to T. J. Honeyman, National Library of Scotland, T. H. Honeyman Papers, acc.no.9787/45)Peploe is known to have patronised a flower stall on Princes Street, a few minutes’ walk from Shandwick Place, where he could buy seasonal blooms. Tulips and roses were often selected, but he also enjoyed the painterly thrill of the forms and colours of other varieties, such as the titular poppies in the present painting.As David R. Mitchell has explained:"The Iceland Poppy or Arctic Poppy (Oreomecon nudicaulis) has been popular with gardeners since it was first described for science and named as Papaver nudicaule in 1759. The generic name Papaver originates from the Latin word for poppy, whilst the specific name nudicaule appropriately means ‘naked stem’.The slightly fragrant papery flowers are found in many colours ranging through white, yellow, orange, salmon and pink. Despite looking delicate they actually stand remarkably well in water, a quality that makes them useful as a cut flower…Robert Pace Brotherston, Gardener to the Earl of Haddington noted…in…The Book of Cut Flowers (1906) ‘they last well from three days to a week’. This quality, combined with the delicate translucent appearance of the blooms, particularly the way in which they reflect but also allow the passage of natural light through the petals, would no doubt have made them appeal to the artist’s eye." (David R. Mitchell, ‘Iceland Poppies – Samuel Peploe: Scientific & Horticultural Notes, Cultural Observations & Mythology’, 1 November 2025)As we can see in Iceland Poppies, Peploe enjoyed the frontal and profile views of the flower heads, arranging a combination of petal colours in an asymmetrical composition in which stems provide structure as well as a sense of movement, especially towards the right-hand edge of the canvas. Thickly loaded brushstrokes are applied in short, bold gestures, sometimes ‘wet on wet’ to create subtle tones, mixed as he worked. Circular flower centres add rhythm to an image which opens out to the Chinese blue and white ‘chrysanthemum’ baluster vase and on to the tabletop and studio setting, realised through an expressive technique which verges on the abstract in certain passages. The contrast of, for example, orange and blue and the placing of brilliant tones throughout the image illustrates Peploe’s highly-tuned skills as a colourist. Moreover, within the language of flowers, poppies are associated with peace, hope, beauty and mortality, as well as love, sleep and creativity, adding symbolism to the work.Iceland Poppies exemplifies Peploe’s brother-in-law Frederick Porter’s description of his approach to still life painting:“All his still lifes were carefully arranged and considered before he attempted to put them on canvas. When this was done – it often took many days to accomplish – he seemed to have absorbed everything necessary for transmitting them to canvas. The result was a canvas covered without any apparent effort. The painting was direct and showed no appearance of over-painting. If a certain touch were wrong it was soon obliterated by the palette knife. The whole canvas had to be finished in one painting so as to preserve a complete continuity. If, in his judgement, it was not right then the whole painting was scraped out and painted again. Such a method demanded considerable powers of energy and concentration, but the result in Peploe’s case justified it.” (Frederick Porter, ‘The Art of S. J. Peploe’, The New Alliance, December 1945-January 1946, p.6)Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Peploe received regular solo exhibitions, including in Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kirkcaldy, London and New York, in which still lifes were the most well represented genre. In 1927, he became a full Member of the Royal Scottish Academy and a still life featuring tulips was acquired by the Tate Gallery (acc.no.NO4224). His work in the field from the later 1920s was characterised by a rusticity of props, lower-toned palette and looser technique. This development was accompanied by a growing international reputation as Peploe achieved the elusive status of critical appreciation combined with commercial success. The artist’s deep attachment to his paintings is revealed in a letter of 6 January 1930, in which he explained: ‘Paintings are funny things – they have a life of their own with their moods and changes, dependent, too, on so many things, they need looking after and being loved, like children.’ (Peploe to ‘Sir’, Manchester Art Gallery, 6 January 1930, S. J. Peploe Archive, National Galleries of Scotland, GMA A112).Iceland Poppies was included in Peploe’s last lifetime solo exhibition in London, A Few Recent Paintings by S. J. Peploe R.S.A., held at Alex. Reid & Lefevre Ltd from February to March 1934 (no.16). It was acquired from Peploe by Lord Kinnaird, believed to be Kenneth Fitzgerald Kinnaird (1880-1972), 12th Lord Kinnaird and 4th Baron Kinnaird of Rossie, Perthshire. He was the son of Arthur Fitzgerald Kinnaird (1847-1923), 11th Lord Kinnaird, the celebrated footballer who served as President of the Football Association for thirty-three years.Peploe’s death in Edinburgh in 1937 was widely lamented in the press and was marked with memorial exhibitions at the Royal Scottish Academy, Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh and the McLellan Galleries, Glasgow. Examples of his still life paintings are held in numerous public collections including that of the National Galleries of Scotland.We are grateful to David R. Mitchell, Curator, Muddy Feet Consulting for his help with our research.
Samuel John Peploe RSA (British, 1871-1935) Still life with apples, pears and peaches signed 'Peploe' (lower left) oil on canvas 40.6 x 45.7cm (16 x 18in).
Samuel John Peploe, R.S.A. 1871 - 1935 Tulips signed Peploe (lower right) oil on canvas unframed: 51 by 40.5cm.; 20 by 16in. framed: 64 by 53.5cm.; 25¼ by 21in. Executed circa 1928. There is a landscape painting on the reverse of the present work by the same hand.
Property formerly in the Collection of Major Ion R. Harrison Samuel John Peploe, R.S.A. 1871 - 1935 Melon, Grapes and Apples signed Peploe (lower right) oil on canvas 41 by 50.5 cm. 16 by 20 in. framed: 58.5 by 68.5 cm. 23 by 27 in. Executed circa 1902.
SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) PARISIENNE IN PROFILE Signed, charcoal 27.5cm x 21cm (10.75in x 8.25in) The Artist's familyThe Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, 2014 (GCOS 28610)
SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) FIRS AT THE MASSIF DES CALANQUES, CASSIS Signed, oil on canvas 51cm x 61cm (20in x 24in) James Hay Gauldie (1872-1956) and thence by descent to the present ownersExhibited:Kirkcaldy Museum & Art Gallery, Second Inaugural Loan Exhibition, July - August 1928 (as ‘Landscape, Cassis, France’)The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, Memorial Exhibition of Paintings by S. J. Peploe R.S.A., 1936, no.52 (as ‘Cassis’)The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Festival Exhibition: S. J. Peploe R.S.A, F. C. B. Cadell R.S.A and Leslie Hunter, 25 August - 17 September 1949, no. 39 (incorrectly titled ‘Antibes’) Firs at the Massif des Calanques, Cassis by S. J. Peploe dates from the third of four trips he made to the French port during a period of over twenty-five years, such was the inspiration it provided for him and for his fellow Scottish Colourists J. D. Fergusson and F. C. B. Cadell. His first was in the company of Fergusson in 1913. Having moved back to Edinburgh after spending the years 1910 to 1912 in Paris, this visit allowed Peploe to re-immerse himself in the world of avant-garde French art and Mediterranean sunshine. On his return in 1924, this time with Cadell, he happily wrote to his wife Margaret ‘Cadell and I get on very well and play billiards at night…or go down to the Liautaud [Hotel] for a drink…Cadell works away in his bedroom persistently.’ (quoted in Guy Peploe, S. J. Peploe 1871-1935, Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh, 2000, pp.68-69) In 1928, during which stay the present work was made, Peploe came to Cassis after painting with fellow Colourist Leslie Hunter in Antibes, further east along the Côte d’Azur. Peploe’s final period of time in Cassis was from Easter until the early summer of 1930.Peploe enjoyed a practice based on working en plein air as well as in a studio. Trees, forests and woods are a mainstay subject of the former strand in his oeuvre and he was drawn to them in locations as varied as Antibes, Cassis, Kirkcudbrightshire and the Scottish Highlands; the windy weather on his beloved Iona prevents the growth of trees on the island. The expressive potential of trees, their trunks, branches and leaves, whether singular or growing in groups, provided Peploe with an endless variety of form and character with which to connect with nature and to establish a sense of place. In the present painting, the artist’s enjoyment of the arabesque curving of the trunks is akin to his depiction of tulip stems in the celebrated still lifes of the late 1910s and early 1920s. The brilliance of the Riviera sunshine is emphasised by the deep shadows cast across bark and ground, whilst the trunk at the very foreground at the lower right hints at the continuation of the scene beyond the confines of the canvas. The Calanques National Park is an area of outstanding natural beauty, known for its ‘majestic cliffs, endless sea…[and]…exceptional flora and fauna’ (Cassis Tourist Office website).The importance of Peploe’s paintings of trees in the region of Cassis was made plain in the acquisition of La forêt for the French national collection from the landmark exhibition Les Peintres Ecossais: S. J. Peploe, J. D. Fergusson, Leslie Hunter, F. C. B. Cadell, Telfer Bear, R. O. Dunlop, held at the Galeries Georges Petit in Paris in March 1931. (Centre Pompidou, acc.no.JP 527 P). Firs at the Massif des Calanques, Cassis was included in the Memorial Exhibition of Peploe’s work mounted by The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh in 1936, the year after the artist’s death. It was also selected for the Royal Scottish Academy’s landmark Festival Exhibition of the work of Peploe, Hunter and Cadell in 1949, which was the first time the three artists had been shown together in a public gallery and in the country of their birth. Incorrectly titled ‘Antibes’, a hand annotated copy of the exhibition catalogue in the archive of the National Galleries of Scotland notes ‘A. R. Sturrock R S A says this is a very fine picture.’ It was one of forty-four works by Peploe on display and was lent by James Hay Gauldie. Paintings of trees from the 1928 Cassis trip are held in the collections of the City Art Centre, Edinburgh and Kirkcaldy Galleries.
Samuel John Peploe RSA (British, 1871-1935) Rocks, Iona signed 'Peploe' (lower right), and inscribed in pencil 'Iona' (verso) oil on panel 37.2 x 45.5cm (14 5/8 x 17 15/16in).
Oil on canvas painting. Attributed to Samuel John Peploe, 1871 to 1935, a Scottish Post-Impressionist artist, one of the four painters that became known as the Scottish Colourists. The artwork depicts a still life with flowers. Signed in the lower right. Undated. Framed. Collectible Fine Art, Genre Painting.
Oil on canvas painting attributed to Samuel John Peploe, 1871 to 1935, a Scottish Post-Impressionist artist, one of the four painters that became known as the Scottish Colourists. The artwork depicts a sea coast. Signed lower left. Undated. Wooden frame. Collectible Fine Art, Nautical Maritime Seascape.
SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) AT TABLE Conté on brown paper 12cm x 14cm (4.75in x 5.5in) Exhibited:The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, The Scottish Colourists, 2000, no.10
Samuel John Peploe, R.S.A 1871 - 1935 Portrait of a Baby, Willy signed Peploe (lower right) oil on panel unframed: 24 by 16cm.; 9½ by 6¼in. framed: 37.5 by 30cm.; 14¾ by 11¾ Executed in 1906.
Samuel John Peploe RSA (British, 1871-1935) North Berwick signed in pencil 'Peploe' (lower right), signed and inscribed 'North Berwick/S J Peploe' (verso) oil on panel 15.9 x 23.6cm (6 1/4 x 9 5/16in).
An antique English, Scottish still life oil painting on board by Samuel John Peploe, 1871 to 1935. The fine painting depicts still life with fruit in a vase and coffee pot. Signed lower left. Framed. Samuel John Peploe was a Scottish Post Impressionist painter, noted for his still life works and for being one of the group of four painters that became known as the Scottish Colourists. Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery holds the largest collection of Peploes paintings aside from the National Galleries of Scotland. Samuel John Peploe is one of Scotlands most valuable artists. One of a kind artwork.
Samuel John Peploe 1871 - 1935 Pink Rose in a Glass Vase with Fruit signed Peploe (lower right) oil on canvas unframed: 46 by 40.5cm.; 18 by 16in. framed: 64.5 by 59.5cm.; 28¼ by 25in. Executed circa 1925. We are grateful to Guy Peploe for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.
Property from the Family of the Artist Samuel John Peploe 1871 - 1935 The Harbour, Cassis signed Peploe (lower right) oil on board unframed: 32.5 by 41cm.; 12¾ by 16in. framed: 47.5 by 56.5cm.; 18¾ by 22¼in. Executed in 1913. We would like to thank Guy Peploe for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.
Property of an Important Family Collection Samuel John Peploe 1871 - 1935 Still Life with a Benedictine Bottle and Fruit signed Peploe (lower right) oil on canvas unframed: 54.5 by 45.5cm.; 21½ by 18in. framed: 71 by 63cm.; 28 by 24¾in. Executed circa 1918 - 1925. We would like to thank Guy Peploe for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.
SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) WOODED LANDSCAPE Oil on canvas 51cm x 71cm (20in x 28in) Alex. Reid & Lefevre Ltd, London;Sotheby's Gleneagles, Scottish and Sporting Paintings, Drawings and Watercolours, 28 August 1984, Lot 964 Peploe enjoyed a practice based on working en plein air as well as in a studio. Trees, forests and woods are a mainstay subject of the former strand in his oeuvre and he was drawn to them in locations as varied as Antibes, Cassis, Kirkcudbrightshire and the Scottish Highlands.From the exploration of Sisley and Pissarro in Spring, Comrie of c.1902 (Kirkcaldy Museum & Art Gallery), to the post-impressionism of Landscape at Cassis, 1924 (National Galleries of Scotland) and the looser, broader River of c.1932 (Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums), the expressive potential of trees, their trunks, branches and leaves, whether singular or growing in groups, provided Peploe with an endless variety of form and character with which to connect with nature and to establish a sense of place. The weather on his beloved Iona is too windy to permit the growth of trees.Somewhat ironically, it was the green light reflected into his Queen Street studio in Edinburgh from the trees across the road that prompted Peploe to move studio in 1917 to 54 Shandwick Place. This was to prove his studio of longest standing and he remained there until 1934. Yet it was during the 1920s that his landscape painting developed apace. As Alice Strang has written:“During the 1920s and early 1930s, Peploe found inspiration in the Scottish landscape of Dumfries and Galloway, Perthshire and Inverness-shire. He returned to Kirkcudbright and painted in Douglas Hall and New Abbey as well. Calvine and St Fillans drew him northwards, whilst the final and most northerly places that he painted were Boat of Garten and Rothiemurchus, where he painted his last picture. Peploe’s interest in trees as subject matter became increasingly pronounced.” (Alice Strang et al, S. J. Peploe, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2012, p. 24)Wooded Landscape reveals Peploe’s mastery of oil paint in portraying a sense of natural beauty, embodied by the trees thriving under sunlight, their features, as well as those of the ground and sky, realised in rigorous, unhesitating brushstrokes. The fall of light, through varying degrees of vegetation, and creating dark shadows that heighten the contrast with the brightness elsewhere, results in an inviting scene into which the viewer is encouraged to enter. Such was the regard for Peploe’s landscapes that his work, La forét, a view of trees in Cassis, was acquired for the French national collection in 1931.
SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) PINK ROSES IN A BLUE AND WHITE VASE Signed, oil on canvas and verso with Still Life with Fruit and Flowers 56cm x 51cm (22in x 20in) Acquired by the father of the present owner Pink Roses in a Blue and White Vase is a quintessential still life painting of the mid to late 1920s by S. J. Peploe and, what is more, it bears the later work Still Life with Fruit and Flowers on its verso. In his still lifes of the 1920s, Peploe brought to bear all the experience he had gained in the genre as an emerging artist in Edinburgh before the war, his experimentation in pre-war Paris and the development of his practice during the conflict. Peploe’s exploration of the work of artists, from Edouard Manet to Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne, were combined with his own innovation in a significant series of works which spanned the decade.Peploe found endless inspiration in favoured still life props, such as the blue-and-white Chinese porcelain vase, informally arranged roses and white drapery seen here. Using an elevated viewpoint and corner positioning, Peploe weights the composition to the left, whilst the roses entering from the right suggest the space beyond the confines of the canvas. The precision of his earlier efforts in the genre has given way to the looser, more expressive technique of the period. Detail is implied rather than specifically rendered, such as in the patterning of the vase and dish. Confidently applied brushstrokes are drawn across the texture of the support, layering rather than blending colours in passages which verge on the abstract, especially in the background. A more gentle palette than that used in previous years sees a harmonious blend of mid-tone pink, blue, yellow and brown. The overall effect is one of a relaxed and confident master at work.The later Still Life with Fruit and Flowers shows how Peploe maintained his fascination with the still life genre into the 1930s. New, more rustic, props were introduced, such as the earthenware vase featured here. Fruit and flowers continue to bring bright colour and compositional high notes to the image, whilst a strong use of black to outline form can be related to contemporary works by his friend and fellow Scottish Colourist, F. C. B. Cadell.The current work takes us from the 1920s into the 1930s, following Peploe as his reputation and stature grew. Acquisitions of his work were made by several public collections, including for Manchester and Aberdeen Art Galleries. His work was shown in a group exhibition alongside Cadell, Fergusson, Hunter and others in Paris in 1931, from which one of his paintings was acquired for the French national collection. It is little wonder that, following his death in Edinburgh in 1935, David Foggie described him in The Scotsman as “one of the most interesting and inspiring of Scottish painters..one of the few whose works were highly esteemed not only in Scotland, but in England and abroad.” (David Foggie, ‘Peploe’s Art: A Scotsman under French Influence’, The Scotsman, 14 October 1935)
SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) STILL LIFE WITH FRUIT AND FLOWERS Signed, oil on canvas 46cm x 41cm (18in x 16in) Ian MacNicol, Glasgow Exhibited: McLellan Galleries, Glasgow, Memorial Exhibition of Paintings by S .J. Peploe RSA, February 1937 Still Life with Fruit and Flowers is an exceptional painting: it was created when Peploe was working most closely with his friend and fellow Scottish Colourist F. C. B. Cadell, and is in the still life genre for which he is most celebrated. Its stunning palette, cropped and asymmetrical composition, and frank technique mean that it encapsulates the ‘modern’ in modern Scottish art. It is on such bold works that Peploe’s leading reputation within twentieth-century art history is based.Peploe and Cadell had met in Edinburgh by 1909 and both received their second solo exhibitions at The Scottish Gallery in the capital the following year. They stayed in touch during Peploe’s sojourn in Paris from 1910 until 1912 and whilst Cadell saw active service during World War One. Following his demobilisation in 1919, Cadell moved to 6 Ainslie Place in Edinburgh’s New Town, a few minutes’ walk from Peploe’s home at 13 India Street and studio at 54 Shandwick Place.The artists’ friendship intensified and their working relationship became closer. Still Life with Fruit and Flowers shows how they even shared a taste for props, such as the orange-rimmed plate, be-ribboned black fan and blue-glazed jug, the likes of which also appeared in Cadell’s contemporary paintings. The stunning lilac background which is such a feature of the present work is surely a direct reference to the colour with which Cadell painted the first floor at Ainslie Place. As T. J. Honeyman recorded: “Cadell’s studio was about the only one S. J. [sic] ever visited. They often criticised each other’s work, suggesting an improvement here and there, counselling eliminations of some passage or advising a fresh attempt.” (T. J. Honeyman, Three Scottish Colourists, London, 1950, p.66)The still life genre was of the utmost important to Peploe throughout his career. He first emerged as an artist of importance at his inaugural solo exhibition in 1903 with a series of still lifes realised in thick, creamy paint, set before a dark background and full of implied narratives of a sophisticated lifestyle. The time he spent in Paris before the War changed his work dramatically, as he submerged himself in the very latest developments in French art, from Cubism to Fauvism. With a medical exemption from war service, Peploe used the years of the conflict for development and exploration, including of the work of Paul Cézanne.Elizabeth Cumming has explained the importance of Peploe’s post-war still lifes, writing:“The end of the war seems to have spurred him to embark on a new series of brightly coloured flower paintings, integrating his unapologetic new academicism with his confidence of colour. The result spelt modernity. Despite his increasing fascination with Cézanne, Peploe was remaining loyal to the decorative values set out by Matisse…Such carefully orchestrated blasts of colour were extraordinary…As [the collector Ion] Harrison recalled thirty years later ‘I had never seen anything in art similar to these pictures and I did not understand them. They really startled me for, to my eyes, they were so ultra-modern.’” (Elizabeth Cumming, ‘Exploring the Poetics of Form: the Post-war Paintings of S. J. Peploe’ in Alice Strang et al, S. J. Peploe, National Galleries of Edinburgh, 2012, p.68)Peploe’s paintstaking working process, by which he would arrange and re-arrange his props for sometimes days on end, resulted in the perfect pitch of inter-relationships between form and colour seen in Still Life with Fruit and Flowers. The focal point of the loosely arranged flowers in the jug makes the most of the yellow and red of the flowerheads, and their profiles, against the lilac background. The rounded form of the jug, in whose surface the windows behind the artist are reflected, anchors the composition. The cropping and overlaying of elements, from fruit on the left, to the run of bowl to plate and jug, provides rhythmic stops and fluid sightlines over the image. Peploe’s enjoyment of realising curved volume is clear in the apples in the foreground, whilst the light entering the scene from the lower left casts deftly rendered shadows that lead the eye to the right and beyond the canvas. Still Life with Fruit and Flowers can be considered the triumphant result of some twenty years of dedication and courageous experimentation in the genre, about which Peploe was to declare in 1929: “There is so much in mere objects, flowers, leaves, jugs, what not – colours, forms, relation – I can never see mystery coming to an end.” (quoted in Stanley Cursiter, Peploe: An Intimate Memoir of an Artist and of his Work, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd, Edinburgh, 1947, p.73). It was selected for inclusion in the memorial exhibition of Peploe’s work mounted at the McLellan Galleries, Glasgow in 1937, following the artist’s death in Edinburgh in 1935.
‡ SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE (SCOTTISH 1871-1935)CASSIS, LOOKING INLANDOil on panelSigned (lower left)32 x 41cm (12½ x 16 in.)Painted circa 1913.Provenance:Lefevre Gallery, LondonAcquired from the above circa 1950 and thence by descent to the present ownerPeploe had firmly established himself on the Scottish art scene in the early years of the twentieth century with his traditional Edwardian style of painting. He found success with a series of carefully observed interiors, still lives, portraits and landscapes. However, regular trips to northern France and Paris from the mid-1900s saw him come into contact with the likes of Matisse and Picasso and the latest artistic trends that avant garde Paris had to offer. He began to adopt a bolder, more vibrant palette, influenced by the art of Vincent Van Gogh, the Fauves and their raw expressionism, he pared down his compositions to the barest, yet most striking elements - the black line contrasted with the brightest, richest colours. This new department was not approved of by his usual Edinburgh dealers who refused to exhibit Peploe's new paintings on his return in 1912. It was one year later that Peploe visited the bustling harbour town of Cassis in the south of France. It was to be the first of many trips and prove instrumental in the development of the artist's mature style. Like so many before and after him, Peploe was enraptured by the iridescent light of the region, the sparkling seas and sun-drenched hills. The colourist journey begun by the Fauves ten years earlier now encompassed a new group of painters who would go on to be known collectively as the Scottish Colourists. This tight-knit group comprised Peploe along with Francis Cadell, Leslie Hunter and J.D. Fergusson and they were Scotland's first Modernists.The present work was most probably painted during Peploe's first trip to Cassis in the summer of 1913. He had been invited by J.D. Fergusson and the American artist and illustrator Anne Estelle Rice. Whilst he produced many views of the port at Cassis, he was also fascinated by the area around the town with its wooded hills and jumble of typically Mediterranean tiled houses. Cassis Looking Inland is one such example with the salmon pink rooftops juxtaposed by lemon-yellow highlights and Peploe's quintessential bold black outlines.
Samuel John Peploe (1871 - 1935) A view of Iona Signed lower left 1919 (?) Oil on softwood panel Provenance: Artist's family; given by People's widow to her son Willy (with label and inscription verso) Cloe Peploe (Willy's daughter); and by descent to the owner Dimensions: (Canvas) 13 in. (H) x 16 in. (W)
◆ SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) LUXEMBOURG GARDENS, PARIS Signed, oil on board (26cm x 21cm (10.25in x 8.25in)) Provenance: The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, where purchased by Ion R. Harrison and thence by descent to the present owner Exhibited: The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, Paintings and Drawings by S. J. Peploe RSA, 18 August - 13 September 1947, no.68 (as 'Paris') McLellan Galleries, Glasgow, Pictures from a Private Collection, 2 - 27 March 1951, no.15 (as 'Luxembourg Gardens with Figure') Luxembourg Gardens, Paris reveals Peploe’s love of the French capital, which began as a student attending the Académie Julian in the 1890s, continued whilst a resident between 1910 and 1912 and was the location of inter-war group exhibitions which resulted in the acquisition of the paintings Paysage – Iona and La Forêt for the French national collection in 1924 and 1931. As Frances Fowle has explained: ‘Peploe had a lifelong love of France…we can tell from Peploe’s letters that in his own mind he associated France and the French with creativity, openness and flair…Peploe firmly believed that France somehow unlocked the creative, expressive side of his temperament. Above all, he adored Paris.’ (Frances Fowle, ‘Peploe in France: A Suitable Milieu’ in Alice Strang et al, S. J. Peploe, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2012, p.43) This image of Paris’s celebrated Jardin du Luxembourg encapsulates the affection Peploe felt for the city, its chic citizens, sophisticated lifestyle and outstanding beauty. In a sun-dappled leisurely scene, an elegant lady is observed strolling along a path, surrounded by trees and carefully cultivated plants. The free application of paint, by way of a thickly-loaded brush, expresses areas of indicative form, shadow and perspective. A palette of mainly unmixed colours is based on tones of green and brown, with highlights of colour used to pick out the flowers and to provide structure when used in single, defining brushstrokes. Luxembourg Gardens, Paris is painted on an intimate scale, on a board which was easy to transport and to use whilst working en plein air. This approach allowed for an immediacy and freshness of response to subject matter which Peploe was to maintain to the end of his career. It was acquired by the celebrated collector of the Scottish Colourists’ work, the Glasgow ship-owner Ion Harrison. In 1950 he recalled ‘It was through Cadell that I first met Peploe and it was when Cadell was starting to paint a portrait of my wife that Peploe joined us at Croft House for a weekend. This was a very great privilege for us, for Peploe did not care for visiting people unless he knew them very well. It was a very happy weekend indeed and Peploe was pleased to see his pictures hanging together in their surroundings.I held him in great esteem and regarded him as a very great artist.’ (Ion Harrison, ‘As I Remember Them’ in T. J. Honeyman, Three Scottish Colourists: Peploe, Cadell, Hunter, Faber and Faber Ltd, London, 1950, p.123)
◆ SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) STILL LIFE WITH TULIPS Signed, oil on canvas (51cm x 51cm (20in x 20in)) Provenance: Mr & Mrs John B. Rankin Private Collection Scotland Exhibited: Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, S. J. Peploe 1871-1935, 26 June - 8 September 1985, no.78 Still Life with Tulips is a remarkable painting by Samuel John Peploe, in which he brought to bear the Edwardian sophistication of the work with which he made his professional name in turn-of-the-century Edinburgh, the lessons he learnt at the heart of the Parisian art world before World War One and the progress he made during the conflict from which he emerged as a Scottish master of modern art. In an image of striking design, which remains as arresting now as when it was painted, Peploe set up his still-life arrangement in front of a sheer black background. This shows the silhouettes and bright colours of the cloth-covered table, glass vase and tulips to the greatest possible effect. He had used this approach in a celebrated series of still lifes painted in the early 1900s, such as Coffee and Liqueur (Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, acc.no.35.586), Peonies (National Galleries of Scotland, acc.no. GMA 1946) and Still Life (Edinburgh Museums and Galleries, acc.no.CAC4/1964), in which Peploe paid his respects to Dutch Old Masters such as Frans Hals and to Eduoard Manet. Paintings such as these proved extremely popular when included in solo and group exhibitions in Edinburgh and London of the period, establishing Peploe as an artist of note and accomplishment. Encouraged by his friend and fellow Scottish Colourist, John Duncan Fergusson, Peploe spent two key years in Paris from 1910 until 1912. He was welcomed into Fergusson’s avant-garde Anglo-American circle of friends, the Rhythmists, and immersed himself in the very latest developments in French painting, experienced at first hand. Such was the pace of his development that he was elected a sociétaire of the cutting-edge Salon d’Automne in recognition of his contribution to the modern movement. His paintings became bolder in technique, colour and design, their progressive nature quite unlike anything that had been created, or seen, in the Edinburgh art world to which he returned two years later. Declared medically unfit for service during World War One, Peploe used the period for continuing experimentation, when canvas and paints could be sourced. Rich colour, spatial compression and a strong structure became the foundation of his still lifes, with furrowed brushstrokes and pronounced outlines coming to the fore. In 1917, he moved studio to 54 Shandwick Place in Edinburgh, where he was to remain until 1934. The following year, his election as an Associate member of the Royal Scottish Academy secured his place within the Scottish art establishment. As Alice Strang has written ‘The still lifes which Peploe painted during the period between approximately 1918 and 1923 are the works for which he is best known…Peploe changed his technique, adopting an absorbent gesso ground and reducing the amount of medium in his paint. He pushed his use of colour to the extreme and obsessively arranged objects – such as blue-and-white Chinese porcelain vases, filled initially with tulips and then usually with roses; fans; books; fruit in a variety of dishes…to create finely balanced compositions.’ (Alice Strang et al, S. J. Peploe, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2012, p.23) Still Life with Tulips dates from this exceptional immediate post-war period, before Peploe settled into the rose still lifes which he painted, exhibited and sold in great numbers during the 1920s. During this period he worked particularly closely with his other fellow Scottish Colourist, F. C. B. Cadell and the two shared an interest in a style which was to become known as ‘Art Deco’ following the Exposition international des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes held in Paris in 1925. At this point, tulips were Peploe’s preferred flower, often bought from stalls on nearby Princes Street. His enjoyment of their strongly-coloured stems, leaves and heads comes to the fore in their balletic presentation here. Their reaching, curving and swooning qualities, in all directions, is played out in the very frontal plane of the image to the right and in an effusion of movement from the vase. The simplified forms of the boldly-coloured petals play against the black and white planes in front of which they are positioned. Throughout, Peploe plays with notions of the space beyond the canvas, with just the angled corner of the table included, whilst the cropped fan, red tulip above it and emerging tulips to the right allude to a continuation of the narrative beyond the viewer’s gaze. The realisation not only of the translucency of the water in the vase and the stems within it, but also its reflection of the space within which the artist was working, is a tour de force passage. Given the brilliance of his tulip still lifes, it is little surprise that his painting, Tulips, of 1923, was acquired for the British national collection in 1927 (Tate, acc.no. NO4224), the year in which Peploe attained the rank of full Member of the Royal Scottish Academy. His appointment was announced in the Glasgow Herald, which described him as ‘an artist of the new movement, Mr Peploe is outstanding in Scotland, and his work has received recognition in London and abroad as well as at home.’ (10 February 1927) Indeed, Peploe’s legacy is primarily based on his mastery of the still life genre, of which Still Life with Tulips is an exceptional example.
◆ SAMUEL JOHN PEPLOE R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1871-1935) ROSES Signed, oil on canvasboard (17cm x 24cm (6.75in x 9.5in)) Provenance: Alex. Reid & Lefevre Ltd, Glasgow and London Major Blair 1927 Private Collection, Switzerland Exhibited: Alex. Reid & Lefevre Ltd, London, S. J. Peploe, December 1926 The Fine Art Society, London, Ten Paintings by S. J. Peploe, March 2010 S. J. Peploe's Roses of circa 1907 is a beautiful, intimate painting from a crucial period in his career when he and fellow Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson were working closely together. Following the success of his first solo exhibition, held at the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh in 1903, Peploe moved studio to 32 York Place in the Scottish capital. Built in 1795 for the great Scottish portraitist Henry Raeburn, this spacious, north-lit studio prompted a new confidence in Peploe’s work. He began painting in a lighter key and employed a looser, freer technique. Professional success followed when the artist began his participation in London exhibitions in 1907. That same year, the Scottish Modern Arts Association purchased Still Life, circa 1906 (Museums & Galleries Edinburgh, No. CAC4/1964) – the first Peploe painting acquired for a public collection. The intimate scale, plein air paintings helped Peploe develop a new palette of subtle blue and grey tones, accented by brilliantly placed flashes of high colour, and provided rhythm and visual contrast to his compositions. His technique progressed apace, and he applied his medium with laden, spontaneous brushstrokes, which created a sense of energy and immediacy. This confidence and Peploe’s mastery of the still life genre is apparent in Roses – a jewel-like composition of favourite props. As the artist wrote in 1920: ‘There is so much in mere objects, flowers, leaves, jugs, what not – colours, forms, relation – I can never see mystery coming to an end.’ (as quoted in Stanley Cursiter, Peploe: An Intimate Memoir of the Artist and his Work, Edinburgh 1947, p. 73).
Samuel John Peploe, R.S.A. 1871 - 1935 Still Life with Ginger Jar signed Peploe (lower left) oil on canvas unframed: 45.5 by 54.5cm.; 18 by 21½in. framed: 68 by 77.5cm.; 26¾ by 30½in. Executed circa 1926.
