Peter Doig

Peter Doig (b. April 17, 1959) is a renowned Scottish painter based in Trinidad since 2002. His painting White Canoe set a record in 2007, selling for $11.3 million at Sotheby’s, followed by The Architect’s Home in the Ravine, which sold for $12 million in 2013. Art critic Jonathan Jones praised Doig for his “genuine imagination and sincere creativity.”

Peter Doig, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, relocated with his family to Trinidad in 1962, then to Canada in 1966. After schooling in Scotland, he studied art in London, earning an MA from Chelsea School of Art in 1990. In 2002, he returned to Trinidad, establishing a studio and teaching in Düsseldorf.

Many of Peter Doig’s paintings are landscapes, with numerous works reflecting snowy scenes reminiscent of his Canadian childhood. His figurative compositions draw inspiration from a variety of sources, including photographs, newspaper clippings, film stills, record album covers, and the works of earlier artists such as Edvard Munch. Formally and conceptually layered, Doig’s landscapes incorporate influences from historical artists, including Munch, H. C. Westermann, Caspar David Friedrich, Monet, and Klimt. While his works often reference found or personal photographs, Doig does not employ a photorealistic approach; rather, he uses these images as a conceptual framework. In a 2008 interview, he described his approach as painting “by proxy,” emphasizing that his works are not intended to accurately represent their settings.