Samuel John Peploe, R.S.A.

The Reid Gallery, Glasgow;
Private Collection, Scotland;
T. & R. Annan & Sons, Glasgow;
Private Collection;
Alex, Reid and Lefevre, London;
Private Collection

The canvas is original. There is a ting fleck of surface dirt in the upper left section of the background. Otherwise the work is clean and ready to hang. Ultraviolet light reveals no sign of retouching. Held in a decorative gold painted composite frame in fair condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Still Life with Pink Roses  was painted in the 1920s when Peploe's still life paintings were at their most vibrant and the colour schemes pared down to a limited number of complimentary colours. This continued throughout the decade and as Stanley Cursiter observed in his biography of Peploe, "studies of roses, in particular, began to appear...which he continued to produce throughout the years, changing as his style developed but invariably fine." In around 1920 Peploe began to paint on an absorbent white gesso ground and ceased to varnish his pictures, allowing the pure colour of the paint to show. He also moved away from painting with strong black outlines and increasingly focused upon the two-dimensional aspect of his designs. He held at least one exhibition in London and Edinburgh every year, the majority comprised of still life studies which he painted at home in his studio, where his introverted character was able to produce works of remarkably bold and confident execution, without the outside distractions which hampered his outdoor work.

According to Peploe's niece, he would often spend painstaking weeks setting up still life compositions in his studio, substituting objects and re-assessing their position in the set-up until the harmony of colour and balance of composition was exactly how he wanted it to be. He would enter his studio in the morning and view the arrayed still life afresh, gently adjusting, adding and subtracting until he was satisfied. Every consideration was made, the contours of the tablecloth, the hues of the plump fruit and the angles of the selected blooms of roses in favourite china vases. Only after he was certain that he had reached the desired effect, would he begin work upon his painting. As Curister further highlighted, "Peploe immersed himself in work, he struggled with the ideals that he had constantly in mind; by application and sheer hard work he steadily gained command over his materials, his design became more flexible and his work increased in power." Still Life with Pink Roses makes an interesting comparison to Roses also included in this sale (Lot 73) which were both painted during the same mature period when Peploe was producing some of his most sophisticated works.