Generally the choice of still lifes such as flowers between the 800th and 900th centuries belongs to a better Anglo-Saxon collector, but for its similarity with other impressionist works, despite being defined as a Scottish colorist of late impressionism, it is particularly appreciated by the whole world. Peploe's art, of a purely French tradition, is clearly divided into two currents. The first, influenced by Manet, is brilliant in its technical ability, with flowing brush strokes in rich tones and an enameled surface. After 1910, following Cézanne's theory, he was interested in the predominance of the arrangement of the pictorial space, sacrificing the figurative aspect to a certain extent.
In the case of works put up for auction by Samuel John Peploe RSA (British, 1871-193) are true masterpieces and will be the stars of the Scottish art auction in Bonhams a Edinburgh on May 21st. The work “Rose in a Green Jug”, once in the collection of the important patron of Scottish colourism Ion R. Harrison, is now up for auction for the first time, having a estimate £250.000-350.000.
Peploe once described his career as a quest for the perfect still life, meticulously crafting compositions that featured the same elements in different combinations. Strongly influenced by his time in Paris between 1910 and 1912 studying the work of the Post-Impressionist masters, Peploe returned to Scotland with an experimental edge that he transferred to his still lifes. He explored the relationships between form and space, colour and tone, naturalism and design, and in Roses in a Green Jug he came ever closer to achieving his goal.
A true passion for flowers
First encountering Peploe's work at an exhibition in Glasgow in the 20s, Major Ion R. Harrison, a Scottish armaments magnate, was fascinated by his still life masterpieces. He observed: “They really struck me because, to my eyes, they were so ultramodern. The formal way in which the flowers were painted and their bright color against equally bold draperies were beyond my comprehension at the time.“. Harrison soon became a close friend and patron of Peploe and the Scottish Colourists, a relationship he maintained throughout his life, while building an extraordinary collection of masterpieces. Among his most prized pieces in the collection was “Roses in a Green Jug”. The painting was proudly displayed in the drawing room of the Harrisons’ home, Croft House in Helensburgh, and can be seen in the background of Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell’s “Portrait of Mrs Ion R. Harrison” of 1932.
The Isle of Iona
The sale will also offer a wide selection of Iona landscapes, notably Peploe’s paintings ‘The White Strand, Iona’, estimated at £70.000-100.000, and ‘Eilean Annraidh’ of Iona, estimated at £50.000-70.000. Also included in the sale are depictions of Iona by Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell RSA RSW and John Maclauchlan Milne RSA. A visit to Iona in the summer of 1920 with his friend and fellow Scottish colourist Cadell would spark over a decade of artistic inspiration for Peploe. Returning almost every summer, Peploe appreciated the northern tip of the island, capturing its jagged rocks against white sand, the vibrant sea and the ever-changing rays of western light, whatever the weather. It would become a source of comfort and healing for both Peploe and Cadell in the years following the First World War: a small island bathed in light, a bridge between land and sea, between earth and ether.
Other highlights of the sale include:
• Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell (1883-1937) Easter Sunday. Estimate: £40.000-60.000
• Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell (1883-1937) The Isle of Rhum, from Iona. Estimate: £30.000-50.000
• John Maclauchlan Milne (British, 1885-1957) Eilean, Iona. Estimate: £20.000-30.000
• Samuel John Peploe (British, 1871-1935) Rocks, Iona. Estimate: £20.000-30.000
• George Leslie Hunter (British, 1877-1931) Still Life with Jug. Estimate: £20.000-30.000
• Six works by Jack Vettriano OBE (UK, 1951-2025), including “Pendine Beach (Studio)”, painted 1996, estimate: £20.000-30.000.
• Anne Redpath (UK, 1895-1965) “Spanish Candelabra”. Estimate: £18.000-25.000
