A century-old mystery surrounding the anonymous donor of a prized painting at Kirkcaldy Galleries in Scotland has finally been solved by a dedicated university student. The Samuel J. Peploe painting titled "Roses" had been prominently featured in exhibitions for nearly 100 years, but the identity of its original benefactor remained unknown despite extensive research efforts by gallery staff.
Muqiao Yue, an art history student from Edinburgh University, successfully cracked the case during a research placement at the gallery. The only clue available was a single sentence in the gallery's records stating: "Presented by the winner of the first prize of Kirkcaldy Art Union, 1926." Local press reports from that time indicated the winner had wished to remain anonymous, making the investigation particularly challenging.
"It was a real privilege to have the opportunity to work on this," Yue explained. "No name or further information was available, as it was reported in the local press that the winner wished to remain anonymous. It felt a bit daunting but I was well supported by Engagement Curator Jane Freel and I believed that, if the information was there, I would find it."
Yue approached the investigation systematically, breaking it down into three key elements: the Kirkcaldy Art Union, the winner, and the specific year of 1926. Her research took her to multiple locations, including local newspaper archives of the Fifeshire Advertiser and Fife Free Press, the National Library of Scotland's British Newspaper Archive, and the Collections Centre in Glenrothes, which houses extensive Fife Collections and archives.
During her investigation, Yue discovered that the Kirkcaldy Art Union had supported contemporary artists by organizing annual raffles where members of the public could win artworks featured in gallery exhibitions. She spent countless hours examining exhibition tickets, catalogs, letters, and financial reports, particularly those from 1926. The committee's minutes book from 1935 provided additional valuable details about the organization's origins, membership, and community role.
The breakthrough came when Yue found a financial report from the Art Union at the National Library that revealed both the winner's name and address, along with details of their prize and its anonymous donation to Kirkcaldy Galleries. "I was so excited I wanted to shout out," she said upon making the discovery.
Surprisingly, the winner was not an individual but rather Aitken Dott & Son, a prestigious art firm established in Edinburgh in 1842 that later became known as The Scottish Gallery. This gallery played a crucial role in promoting the work of the Scottish Colourists during the early to mid-20th century and supported Peploe's work throughout his lifetime, continuing to do so today.
With their £50 prize money from the Kirkcaldy Art Union raffle, Aitken Dott & Son selected "Roses" from the annual exhibition and generously donated it to the newly opened Kirkcaldy Galleries. This donation is believed to have made Kirkcaldy Galleries the first institution in Britain to own a Peploe painting. Today, the gallery houses the largest collection of Peploe works outside the National Gallery.
"This was such an interesting and exciting project and I am extremely grateful to everyone who helped me," Yue added. "It was hard work, particularly going through hundreds of newspaper articles without knowing if they would lead to anything. The best part, as well as finding the donor, was getting to see and touch the original Peploe."
Samuel J. Peploe was a key member of the Scottish Colourists, a group of artists that also included Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell, George Leslie Hunter, and John Duncan Fergusson. These artists, who painted in the early 20th century, spent time in France where they were influenced by French artists' use of bold colors and free brushstrokes. They embraced this artistic freedom after encountering conservative boundaries in their early careers in Scotland.
The discovery has particular significance given that Peploe's grandson, Guy Peploe, a former managing director of the Scottish Gallery and acknowledged expert on his grandfather's work, gave a talk earlier this year at the Galleries promoting his new book "The Scottish Colourists." Guy Peploe also participated in a sold-out "In Conversation" event with former politician and broadcaster Michael Portillo at the Adam Smith Theatre in October, where Portillo discussed his family history and memories of Peploe paintings in his grandfather's collection, many of which were donated to Kirkcaldy Galleries.
Engagement Curator Jane Freel expressed her satisfaction with the resolution of the long-standing mystery. "I've always been intrigued by how we acquired this painting. I'm delighted with Muqiao's discovery about the origin of the painting and grateful for all her hard work," Freel stated.
The research project coincided with Kirkcaldy Galleries' centenary celebration this year, during which researchers have been systematically examining and cataloging the institution's early collections, documenting details including donation dates and benefactors. "Roses" by S.J. Peploe is currently on display as part of the centenary exhibition "A Century of Kirkcaldy Galleries," which runs until January 25, 2026, allowing visitors to appreciate both the artwork and its newly discovered history.
