Samuel John Peploe, R.S.A.

Aitken Dott & Son, Edinburgh

STRUCTURE Original canvas. There is an undulation in the lower right corner otherwise the work appears in good original condition. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT Under UV light there are elements which fluoresce but these appear to relate to the pigment used. FRAME Held in a gilt plaster frame.
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The still life for Peploe was the most important subject of his career, and it is the genre that has defined his reputation as one of the most influential painters in the history of twentieth-century British art.  To Peploe, the still life presented an intellectual challenge, and in a letter to a friend he once wrote, "there is so much in mere objects, flowers, leaves, jugs, what not – I can never see mystery coming to an end" (Peploe, in Cursiter, Peploe: An Intimate Memoir of an Artist and of his Work, 1947, p.73).  Peploe was well known for meticulously choosing the objects in his paintings and would often paint only flowers that were in season and spend considerable time choosing individual flowers and fruit in his quest to paint the perfect still life.  To him, the still life held no hidden meanings; it was perfect subject through which to explore the relationship between colour and form. 

Pink Rose in Glass Vase with Fruit is an exceptional painting dating from the mid-1920s, the period of Peploe's most fervent exploration of the still life genre.  The rose was his most characteristic subject during this period, and here he has depicted a single pink rose defined by quick brush strokes and strong lines as the central motif of the canvas. The careful arrangement of the composition such as the vibrant pink rose tipping to the side of its vase and the angular folded cloth on the table epitomizes Peploe's strong command of form and symmetry.  Peploe's canvas is a harmony of colour and shape.  The artist has flooded the composition with light, allowing him to focus on relationship between pure shades of blue, pink, and orange rather than on building a realistic image based on shadow and tone.  The juxtaposition of curvilinear forms such as the pear on the table and the geometric fragment of the painting frame in the top left corner in conjunction with an atmospheric application of paint fully demonstrate Peploe's skilful ability to capture the relationship of colour, symmetry, and form.

The bold colours and delineated tone of the still life reveals the influence of Fauvism and the work of Paul Cezanne on Peploe's painting.  The work of the French modernists had a profound impact on Peploe's style.  When Peploe lived in Paris between 1910 and 1912, he found himself in the midst of a renaissance of modern art that championed a new focus on the intensity and forcefulness of colour.  Inspired by this energy, Peploe incorporated vibrant colours into his work in a manner that differed dramatically from his more muted and naturalistic palettes from the previous decade.  Pink Rose in Glass Vase with Fruit is a masterful example of how the artist incorporated the bright palettes and new ideas inspired by his time in France with his own personal style developed in his early career to produce a painting that is quintessentially and identifiably Peploe.