Roses and Fan 1930

Samuel Peploe built this painting, Roses and Fan, with pinks, blues, and blacks – all fairly high key – as if they are stacked one on top of the other. Look at the juicy brushstrokes of the white tablecloth and the fresh dab of green that suggests the stems of roses in a vase. I can imagine Peploe squinting at the scene, seeing it as blocks of light and shadow. It’s so interesting how the dark strokes create such a strong contrast against the pinks and whites. It’s a fairly conventional subject, but in Peploe’s hand, it’s like he’s almost wrestling the forms into place. The apple in the foreground, for instance, seems to roll out into our space. Peploe was part of the Scottish Colourists, who were inspired by French Impressionism, and you can see how they have been looking at Matisse and Cezanne. The fan of the title is hard to discern! These artists were all in conversation, all trying to figure out how to translate the world onto canvas. And that is a beautiful, endless journey.