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a Scottish Colourist who abandoned law at fourteen, absorbed Matisse in Paris, and found French-quality light on the Atlantic coast of Iona
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Where to see Samuel Peploe
Ranked by works you can see in person.
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34 works
National Galleries Scotland
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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26 works
Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums collections
Aberdeen City, United Kingdom
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14 works
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Glasgow, United Kingdom
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11 works
Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery
Glasgow, United Kingdom
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6 works
Glasgow Museums Resource Centre
Nitshill, United Kingdom
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5 works
Gracefield Arts Centre
Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom
Also here (2)
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3 works
Burrell Collection
Glasgow, United Kingdom
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3 works
Dundee Art Galleries and Museums
Dundee, United Kingdom
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3 works
Paisley Museum
Paisley, United Kingdom
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2 works
Royal Scottish Academy
City of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
View all 31 museums
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2 works
Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester, United Kingdom
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2 works
Birmingham Museums Trust
Birmingham, United Kingdom
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1 works
Princeton Art Museum
Princeton, United States
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1 works
McLean Museum and Art Gallery
Greenock, United Kingdom
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1 works
Brighton Museum & Art Gallery
Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom
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1 works
National Gallery of Canada
Rideau-Vanier Ward, Canada
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1 works
Tate
Tate Britain, United Kingdom
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1 works
Ulster Museum
Belfast, United Kingdom
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1 works
Laing Art Gallery
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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1 works
Saint Louis Art Museum
St. Louis, United States
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1 works
The Atkinson
Southport, United Kingdom
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1 works
Abbot Hall Art Gallery
Kendal, United Kingdom
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1 works
Cartwright Hall Art Gallery
Lister Park, United Kingdom
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1 works
Toledo Museum of Art
Toledo, United States
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1 works
National Gallery
Trafalgar Square, United Kingdom
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1 works
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Boston, United States
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1 works
Fitzwilliam Museum
Cambridge, United Kingdom
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1 works
Art Gallery of South Australia
North Terrace, Australia
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1 works
National Gallery of Victoria
NGV International, Australia
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1 works
Courtauld Gallery
Somerset House, United Kingdom
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1 works
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Indianapolis, United States
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I see Samuel Peploe's work?
Samuel Peploe's paintings are held in many public and private collections. Major holdings of his work are in Scottish galleries. The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh has a representative collection. The Hunterian Art Gallery at the University of Glasgow also owns a number of his paintings, drawings, and prints. Another significant collection is held by the Kirkcaldy Galleries in Fife. Outside Scotland, The Tate in London has several paintings by Peploe. These include still lifes and landscapes. The Ulster Museum in Belfast also holds examples of his work. Many other regional museums and galleries throughout the UK occasionally display Peploe's paintings. Check the Art UK website; it is a useful resource for locating artworks in public collections. Major auction houses, such as Christie's and Sotheby's, periodically offer his paintings for sale, providing opportunities for viewing, though not in a museum setting.What should I know about Samuel Peploe's prints?
Samuel Peploe was a Scottish Colourist painter, and prints were not a major part of his output. However, some information about fine-art printmaking may still be useful. Printmakers often limit the number of prints in an edition. This decision is up to the artist, not a requirement of the medium. The number of prints that can come from a woodblock is not limited by the block itself, if properly cared for. Thomas Bewick's wood engraving of Newcastle was printed 900,000 times. An edition can be 'open' or 'limited'. Standard practice is to write the edition number as a fraction on the bottom left margin of the print. The print number appears above the edition size. The print's title is in the centre, and the artist's signature is on the right. Many artists sign and number their prints in pencil. Some artists also set aside a percentage of the edition as artist's proofs, marked 'AP'.Why are Samuel Peploe's works important today?
Samuel Peploe (1871-1935) was a Scottish Colourist painter, and his works remain important for several reasons. He is known for his still lifes, his use of colour, and his contribution to modern Scottish art. Peploe, along with John Duncan Fergusson, George Leslie Hunter, and Francis Cadell, is considered one of the leading figures of the Scottish Colourists movement. This group of artists were influenced by Post-Impressionism and Fauvism, movements that emphasised bold colour and simplified forms. Fergusson, born in Scotland in 1874, studied art and spent time in France, Spain, and Morocco. Peploe's paintings offer insight into the artistic exchanges between Scotland and France in the early 20th century. A figure resembling Peploe appears in Fergusson's 1905 painting *Dieppe, 14 July 1905: Night*, demonstrating the connections between these artists. Peploe’s work provides a view into the development of modern art in Scotland, and his paintings continue to be appreciated for their aesthetic qualities.What techniques or materials did Samuel Peploe use?
Samuel Peploe, a Scottish Colourist, is known for his still lifes and landscapes. He favoured oil paint, applying it in a style that evolved over his career. Early works show an interest in tonal painting, with colours carefully modulated to create form and depth. He often used thick impasto, building up layers of paint on the canvas to add texture. This is evident in paintings such as "Rocks, Iona". Later, Peploe adopted a bolder, more simplified approach. His palette became brighter, influenced by French Post-Impressionism. He began to use flatter areas of colour, with less blending and more emphasis on the juxtaposition of hues. This is particularly noticeable in his still life paintings of flowers and fruit, where he explored the interplay of light and colour. Throughout his career, Peploe experimented with different supports, including canvas and wooden panels. His brushwork varied from broad, sweeping strokes to more controlled, precise touches, depending on the subject and the effect he wished to achieve.Who did Samuel Peploe influence?
Samuel Peploe's artistic reach extended to several painters, directly or indirectly. James Dickson Innes, who attended the Slade, adopted bolder and brighter colours in his work after seeing Matisse's paintings in Paris around 1910, and Augustus John's Provençal studies at the Chenil Gallery in 1911. Innes's short, choppy brushstrokes were adapted from Lucien Pissarro's Neo-Impressionist technique. John Duncan Fergusson, who settled in Paris in 1907, initially emulated Whistler, but soon assimilated the influence of the Fauves. A fireworks painting exhibited at the Whistler Memorial Exhibition in London and Paris in 1905, was probably the inspiration for Fergusson's Dieppe, 14 July 1905; Night. The brighter touches of colour were characteristic of many Scottish painters whom Whistler influenced. Peploe is actually included in this painting. These painters owed a debt to French artists, most notably Cézanne.Who influenced Samuel Peploe?
Samuel Peploe, a Scottish Colourist, absorbed a range of influences that shaped his artistic style. Early on, he was drawn to the work of French Realist painters such as Gustave Courbet, whose emphasis on depicting everyday subjects appealed to Peploe's own inclinations. Later, Peploe encountered Impressionism, and he adopted its techniques for capturing light and atmosphere. The Impressionists' broken brushstrokes and interest in fleeting moments are evident in Peploe's paintings. He was particularly interested in Édouard Manet. Post-Impressionism also had a significant effect. The bold colours and simplified forms of artists like Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne inspired Peploe to experiment with his own palette and compositions. Cézanne's treatment of form, in particular, had a lasting impact, visible in Peploe's still lifes and treatment of volume. These diverse sources contributed to the formation of Peploe's distinctive artistic vision.What is Samuel Peploe's most famous work?
Although it is difficult to identify a single "most famous" work, Samuel Peploe is best known for his still-life paintings and his Scottish Colourist depictions of Iona. Peploe's still-life works often feature arrangements of fruit, flowers, and vases, characterised by bold colour and simplified forms. These paintings demonstrate his interest in the formal qualities of painting, such as colour, composition, and texture. Examples include Still Life with Roses and Fruit (1915) and Still Life with Coffee Pot (circa 1910). His landscapes of Iona, a small island in the Inner Hebrides, are also highly regarded. From about 1900, Peploe made regular painting trips to Iona with his friend and fellow artist, Francis Cadell. These paintings capture the unique light and atmosphere of the island, and they often feature views of the coastline, beaches, and hills. Iona from the North-West (1920-1928) is a typical example. Peploe's work is celebrated for its use of colour and its contribution to the development of modern art in Scotland. His paintings are held in major public and private collections, and they continue to be admired for their beauty and originality.What style or movement did Samuel Peploe belong to?
Samuel Peploe (1871-1935) is best known as one of the Scottish Colourists. This group, which also included John Duncan Fergusson, George Leslie Hunter, and Francis Cadell, is noted for its Post-Impressionist style. Peploe's early work showed the influence of artists such as James McNeill Whistler. However, a move to France in 1910 had a great effect on his artistic direction. There, he encountered the work of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. He was especially interested in painters like Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, and Henri Matisse. The Scottish Colourists, inspired by French painting, used colour as a primary element in their compositions. Peploe’s paintings often feature still lifes, especially flowers, and scenes of Iona and the Scottish coast. His style is characterised by bold brushstrokes and a strong sense of light. Although the Colourists were not formally aligned as a group, their shared aesthetic and exhibitions cemented their place in the history of Scottish art. They brought modern art ideas to Scotland, changing the direction of painting there.
Sources
Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Samuel Peploe's works across the following collections.
- [1] museum Art Gallery of South Australia Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography.
- [3] book Post-impressionism : cross-currents in European painting Used for: biography.
- [4] book Post-impressionism : cross-currents in European painting Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-06-28. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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