Colour, Light and Modern Scotland: The Scottish Colourists at Perth Art Gallery

From spring 2026, Perth Art Gallery will present The Scottish Colourists Revealed, a major exhibition bringing together paintings by four artists who helped reshape modern Scottish art.

Opening on 3 April 2026, the exhibition explores the work of The Scottish Colourists, Samuel John Peploe, F.C.B. Cadell, George Leslie Hunter and J.D. Fergusson and their shared approach to colour, clarity and modern life.

Drawing on loans from across Scotland, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see important works usually kept out of public view, shown together in one place.

The Scottish Colourists: a shared moment in art

Although they never worked as a formal group, Peploe, Cadell, Hunter and Fergusson were shown together on a small number of occasions during their lifetimes and were later linked under the collective label “the Scottish Colourists”.

Time spent in Paris proved pivotal, exposing them to Post-Impressionism and Fauvism and a more liberated approach to colour.

Returning to Scotland, they brought those ideas to still life, landscape and interior scenes, producing paintings with a modern, international outlook.

Their work remains central to how early 20th-century Scottish painting is understood today.

Cecilia No. 2 (1912) by Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell (1883–1937) - Credit The University of Dundee

The Scottish Colourists Revealed

Rather than focusing on one collection, The Scottish Colourists Revealed brings together works from a wide range of lenders, creating a rich and varied picture of each artist’s practice.

Visitors can expect to see:

• Bold still lifes and interiors, where colour and composition take centre stage.
• Expressive landscapes, from Scotland to the Mediterranean, capturing light and atmosphere.
• Unseen paintings, including works never publicly displayed in over 40 years, on loan from the Aviva Art Collection.
• Key examples of Fergusson’s work, shown in a gallery already home to his nationally significant collection.

John Duncan Fergusson (1874-1961) Bathing Boxes and Tents at St. Palais (1910). Image credit Culture Perth & Kinross

Seen side by side, the exhibition reveals both shared ideas and individual approaches. Cadell’s elegant interiors and Hunter’s more expressive handling of paint sit comfortably alongside Peploe’s structured still lifes and Fergusson’s energetic compositions, allowing visitors to move naturally between different styles.

Explore the Galleries

This is a chance to see the Scottish Colourists not as “four famous names”, but as four distinct voices — each with their own obsessions:

• Peploe: luminous still lifes and confident structure
• Cadell: stylish interiors, fashionable figures, and high-key colour
• Hunter: expressive paint handling and colour-driven landscapes
• Fergusson: dynamism, modern life, and a signature energy

George Leslie Hunter (1877–1931), Roses, a Melon and a Japanese Print (c.1918). On loan from Dundee University

Importantly, the exhibition is a wide-reaching gathering across public collections and private lenders, designed to reveal works visitors may never have the chance to see elsewhere.

Why Perth Art Gallery?

Perth Art Gallery has long been associated with J.D. Fergusson through its permanent collection, making the city a natural setting for an exhibition of this scope.

The arrival of additional works from national and private collections allows visitors to place Fergusson’s work in a wider context, alongside his contemporaries.

The exhibition also reflects Perth’s wider cultural story, with several works on loan from Aviva’s collection, originally assembled by General Accident, founded in Perth in the 19th century, returning to the city where that connection began.

Plan your visit

The Scottish Colourists Revealed
Perth Art Gallery
3 April – 26 October 2026
£6 / £4.50 concessions
Under 16s free

Perth Art Gallery is open Thursday to Monday, 10am–5pm. Entry to the permanent
galleries is free.

Samuel John Peploe (1871-1935) Flowers and Fruit (c.1925). On loan from Aviva Art Collection.

Find out more and book >

This exhibition has been generously supported by Lyon & Turnbull and Aviva.