Famous Samuel John Peploe paintings expected to reach up to half a million pounds at auction

A collection of paintings by Scottish Colourist Samuel John Peploe are to go under the hammer this week, with some expected to sell for up to half a million pounds.

The paintings will be on sale at Lyon & Turnbull’s bi-annual Scottish Paintings and Sculpture auction on Thursday, December 9.

The special focus on the work of Peploe in the forthcoming auction will be the culmination of a series of events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the artist’s birth.

It includes  an exclusive exhibition – Peploe at 150 – in Lyon & Turnbull’s Glasgow gallery featuring five paintings from the auction and four on loan from private collections.

One of the highlights of the works on offer is Peploe’s Roses and Fruit, which has an estimate of between £300,000 and £500,000.

Painted in 1921 at the height of his artistic powers, the still life was part of the collection of Glasgow shipowner, Major Ion R, Harrison, one of Peploe’s most significant patrons.

Harrison purchased the painting directly from Peploe’s solo exhibition at Scottish art dealer Alexander Reid’s La Société des Beaux-Arts gallery in Glasgow in 1924.

It was one of the first paintings by a Scottish Colourist acquired by the famous collector, going on to become one of the group’s leading patrons.

Fergusson and Peploe, who met in Edinburgh in the early 1900s, lived and worked together in France at various times leading up to the start of the First World War.

They were at the heart of Paris’ bohemian art scene between1910 and 1912, mingling with the likes of Picasso and other key cultural figures of the time.

The Fergusson artworks being offered at auction include Study No.6, one of a series of extraordinary images of women he created in Paris during 1910-1913. This remarkable oil painting is estimated to fetch between £80,000 to £120,000.

A stand-out work in the sale is one of Cadell’s famous paintings of the Inner Hebridean island of Iona. The view of St Columba’s Bay, Iona is estimated at £80,000 to £120,000.

The sale also includes five works by the celebrated Anglo-Scottish artist, Joan Eardley, whose centenary is being celebrated this year. The group includes a painting, Canal Bank, which is thought to be the first which Eardley sold.

Nick Curnow, Head of Fine Art with Lyon & Turnbull said: “Roses and Fruit is a superlative painting by Peploe, a work that reveals a triumphant conclusion to his years of experience in Edinburgh and Paris. An exceptional painting to lead an outstanding selection of his work.

“Our bi-annual Scottish Paintings & Sculpture sale is always one to look forward to. This season we are delighted to be offering such a broad range of Scottish art, spanning over three centuries, and are particularly excited about the celebration of S. J. Peploe’s work.

“2021 continues to be an exciting one for Lyon & Turnbull with spirited bidding coming from home and abroad. We anticipate once more a large international audience to round off a remarkable year.”