North Berwick 1903

Samuel Peploe likely made this oil painting, North Berwick, in the early 20th century. Its subject, a coastal town in Scotland, is rendered with the broad brushstrokes characteristic of the Scottish Colourists. Looking at this painting, it is important to remember the context in which it was made: Scotland in the early twentieth century was not a place readily associated with avant-garde art. Yet the Scottish Colourists, including Peploe, embraced the formal innovations of French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. They sought to elevate painting to the level of pure sensation, reducing scenes to arrangements of tone and colour. Peploe was influenced by the institutional shift away from traditional academic art towards modernism. To truly understand Peploe's achievement, it is helpful to explore period sources, like exhibition catalogues and art criticism, that can help us understand how his paintings were received. By studying the cultural context, we recognize that this painting represents a distinctively Scottish contribution to the development of modern art.