Boy Reading (The Artist's Son) 1903

Samuel Peploe captured his son absorbed in a book with loose brushstrokes and a muted palette. You can almost feel the artist circling his subject, trying to capture that quiet intensity. There's a beautiful awkwardness, like in a Bonnard painting, the way Peploe's built the form from planes of color. I imagine him stepping back, squinting, and then pouncing with another daub of paint. Did he want to capture a fleeting moment, or was it an exploration of form and tone? You can see how the thick paint sits on the surface, each brushstroke alive with energy. Look at the boldness of the boy's white collar! Peploe was part of the Scottish Colourists, a group of artists who were inspired by the Impressionists, and you can see that influence here. Every artist is always in conversation with other artists. Painting lets you see the world, and hold it, in a new way.