Scottish Colourists

The four artists, Francis Cadell, John Duncan Fergusson, Leslie Hunter and Samuel Peploe, were prolific painters spanning the turn of the twentieth century until the beginnings of World War II.

[3][4] Generally however, the group shared a common interest in the artistic developments occurring in France and are shown to dabble with different styles such as Cubism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, and Futurism.

[7] The Scottish Colourists combined their training in France and the work of French Impressionists and Fauvists, such as Monet, Matisse and Cézanne, with the painting traditions of Scotland.

[12] While each of the four artists had a unique style, their work shared common interests in experimentation with light and shade, planar brushstrokes, bold use of colour, and a vibrant and confident tone.

[14] Alongside Cubism, later experiments with the styles of Post-Impressionism can be seen in the Matisse-like use of green paint to convey shadows, and the structural and tonal landscape compositions influenced by Cézanne.

[12] Peploe stated that his style was an attempt to simultaneously find truth through light, form and colour, while also remain faithful to one’s own emotions and understandings of the art he is creating.

[17] From 18 October 2019 - 1 February 2020 Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, hosted an exhibition of the Scottish Colourists largely based on works from the Fleming Collection.