Peploe Lecture 15 July 2026

Lecture, Lunch and Tour of the Exhibition

Lecture by Amanda Herries

Peploe’s early career showed little trace of his artistic leanings.  He left school at 14; his guardians wanted him to pursue a career in the army; he was. Peploe is one of the group of four artists known as the ‘Scottish Colourists‘. Born in Edinburgh, he studied art in Paris and lived there from 1910 to 1912. It was through painting holidays in Northern France that he was introduced to the use of bold colour, inspired by the bright sunlight. He later experienced the same intensity of light while painting on the island of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland. French painting proved to be a powerful influence for Peploe throughout his life. Although his work never became abstract, it was characterised by tight composition, strong colour and assured handling.