Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 1 on 5/3/2002.

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Still life bursts through world auction record

The Black Bottle, a still life by Scottish colourist Samuel John Peploe (1871-1935), was sold in Christie's Scottish Sale for well above the estimated £350,000-£450,000, fetching £520,750, a record-breaking amount for a painting sold in Scotland. The auction was held in Edinburgh on 1st November 2001, with around 100 lots from the Fleming Collection, a Scottish art collection owned by the international asset management and investment banking group.

The Black Bottle was painted circa 1905 and was also part of an exhibition at the Royal Academy in London and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh: The Scottish Colourists, 1900-1930. This isn't the first time the painting has broken a record: it previously held the world auction record for a still life after being sold for £260,000 in 1988 by Christie's in Glasgow.

According to Alexander Meddowes, Christie's Director and auctioneer, the high bidding at this auction "reflects the growing international interest in Scottish Art." .....

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By Brigid James

Section : Art and Antiques

Page number : 19