White Lilies 1923

Samuel Peploe painted 'White Lilies' using oil paint. The visible brushstrokes are not blended, but rather laid on with a chunky directness. Peploe was one of the Scottish Colourists, inspired by the work of Post-Impressionist painters like Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne. Looking closely, you can see how he has built up the image with individual marks to create depth and form. The thickness of the paint contributes to the overall effect, giving a tactile quality that invites you to consider the physical act of painting itself. Though the subject – flowers in a vase – seems straightforward, it is elevated through Peploe's chosen medium and process. Oil paint has a long history, bound up with the traditions of fine art, the skill involved in its manipulation and its status as a luxury material. In celebrating the inherent qualities of oil paint, Peploe's 'White Lilies' prompts us to think about art's relationship to labor, production and the market.