Dish with Apples 1918

Samuel Peploe made this painting of a 'Dish with Apples' with oil paints, and you can just imagine him, a Scotsman, setting up this still life, maybe in his Edinburgh studio. The palette is muted, earthy, but it's got these flashes of brighter reds in the apples, which pop against the cooler blues and browns. You can see the brushstrokes, how the paint is applied in these deliberate, blocky gestures, not trying to hide anything. There is a sense of calm, of contemplation, like he was really looking, really considering each object. That blue and white cloth is just wonderful. See how the brushstrokes dance, creating this sense of folded fabric with light and shadow. I love how painting does that – transforms something ordinary into something extraordinary, right? Peploe was part of the Scottish Colourists, inspired by artists like Matisse and the French Impressionists. You can see the connection. It's all about the joy of colour and light, making paintings that are less about representation and more about feeling. Artists keep talking to each other, across time, across places, isn't it great?