Denis Peploe, 1914-1993

Son of the artist S J Peploe, Denis Peploe grew up with art, often working with his father. He studied at Edinburgh College of Art and then in Paris, in the studio of André Lhote. In the pre-war years, he travelled widely in countries around the Mediterranean Sea. He was greatly drawn to the ideas in art flourishing in Europe at that time and also to the ways of life found there. A serious motorcycle crash in North Africa whilst working for the Special Operations Executive led to a long stint in hospital, where he continued to draw.

The first of his many one-man shows was held in 1947 at the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh. His subjects were mainly landscapes, often with a focus on the Western Highlands and Hebrides although his work also included many still-life and figure studies. He was a dedicated teacher of drawing and painting at Edinburgh College of Art 1955–79 and was elected RSA in 1966. Independently minded, ironic and rather serious, Peploe was scornful of fashionable trends in art.