A “daring” still life masterpiece painted in Edinburgh by the leading Scottish Colourist Samuel John Peploe fetched nearly £280,000 at auction in the city.
The painting titled “Japanese Vase with Pink Roses” was completed around 1922 when Peploe was at the height of his career, working from a studio in Edinburgh’s New Town.
It was considered especially “bold and daring” in its day as it featured a dramatic flash of bright orange drapery, as the artist “pushed the boundaries” of traditional painting.
The signed 22 x 18 inch oil painting was the leading lot in Bonhams’ Scottish Art Sale, where it was sold to an online bidder for £279,800.
May Matthews, Managing Director of Bonhams Scotland, said: “Japanese Vase with Pink Roses displays all of the classic elements for which Peploe was celebrated and sought after at the height of his career.
“Meticulously planned and executed, it’s a masterpiece in terms of its design and flair but this painting is particularly unusual because of the dramatic streak of orange in the top left corner.
“This shows his willingness to experiment and evolve as he strived for perfection.”
S.J. Peploe, born in Edinburgh in 1871, was the eldest of the four Scottish Colourists, who also included John Duncan Fergusson, George Leslie Hunter and Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell.
Peploe spent much of his career on a quest to produce the perfect still life, and became renowned for his compositions.
The sale featured nearly 100 lots spanning over a century of Scottish art.
Japanese vase with pink roses signed ‘S J Peploe’ (lower left) oil on canvas
Picture Alan Simpson
