Wind 1910

Editor: This is "Wind" by Samuel Peploe, painted in 1910 with oil paint, probably en plein air. It’s strikingly…blue! I’m really drawn to its seemingly unfinished quality. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, understanding the context of the Scottish Colourists is crucial here. Peploe, along with others, were heavily influenced by French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, absorbing their ideas during trips to France. But look closely: it is more than just pretty scenery, right? Editor: I see what you mean...It looks like a scene from everyday life; the figures on the beach could be families enjoying their free time, it reflects how the expansion of railroads changed the lives of regular citizens allowing them to spend more time and discover nature… Curator: Precisely! Peploe’s choice to paint everyday leisure scenes ties into a larger societal shift – the rise of the middle class and their access to leisure activities. These paintings become visual documents of social change. And do you notice how these scenes often found their home adorning middle-class walls? Editor: That’s interesting! So these weren’t just pretty pictures, they were signs of upward mobility and participation in a wider cultural conversation, almost like…snapshots of modern life. Curator: Exactly! The politics of leisure and its representation become quite fascinating when you view them through this lens. What will you take away from this? Editor: I'm going to see Impressionist art differently, appreciating their visual language of societal shifts rather than just painting techniques.