Étaples 1906

Samuel Peploe painted "Étaples" using a vibrant palette of blues, whites, and touches of red, applied with bold, expressive brushstrokes. These colours create an atmosphere that is both lively and serene. Peploe’s composition here defies traditional representation. The buildings and figures seem to emerge from the very texture of the paint, blurring the boundaries between the subject and the medium. The thick impasto and broken brushwork fragment the scene, reflecting a modern sensibility that questions fixed perspectives and stable forms. This approach to painting invites us to consider how meaning is constructed through the act of perception. Peploe uses the materiality of paint to challenge our assumptions about space and form. The painting thus becomes a site of continuous visual interpretation, encouraging viewers to engage actively with the artwork and its ever-shifting possibilities.