The Scottish Colourists

Samuel John Peploe, John Duncan Fergusson, George Leslie Hunter and Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell - a set of radical artists who enlivened the Scottish art scene with the fresh vibrancy of French Fauvist colours. Despite only exhibiting together on three occasions in their lifetimes, and the term ‘The Scottish Colourists’ being coined retrospectively, the four shared much common ground. They were all born in Scotland in the 1870s, and at various different times each visited France to experience the burgeoning avant-garde scene, returning to Scotland brimming with new ideas. The influence of French painting - from Manet to the Impressionists, Matisse to Cezanne – stayed with them all.

Each of the Scottish Colourists achieved recognition during their lifetimes but fell out of favour by the Second World War, before being rediscovered in the 1950s. By the 1980s, they were widely recognised for their contribution to Scottish art, breathing new life into the scene, and leading the way for the next generation of artists.

This book brings together both popular and rarely seen imagery along with new research to take a fresh look at the fascinating and international lives of the four artists.

• A revised edition of a perennially popular book covering the lives and work of the four artists known as the Scottish Colourists

• Completely new design including a fresh new cover to give this popular title a new, modern feel

• An updated bibliography, divided up by artist, lists the research that has been done on each artist since the book was originally published

F.C.B. Cadell, J.D. Fergusson, G.L. Hunter and S.J. Peploe are now among the most admired of early 20th-century British artists. Their direct contact with French Post-Impressionism and their early knowledge of the work of Matisse and the Fauves encouraged them to produce paintings which are considered some of the most progressive in British art of the early 20th century. During their lifetime the Colourists developed an international reputation, exhibiting in Paris, London and New York as well as Scotland. Since their deaths they have often been overlooked in histories of British art but, in the last 20 years, there has been a dramatic revival of interest in their work. Featuring essays describing the artists’ lives and their involvement with the avant garde in Paris in the early years of the 20th century, this book is richly illustrated with over 100 of the Colourists’ most stylish and inventive paintings. This revised edition has a completely refreshed design and cover as well as an updated bibliography.