A Street, Comrie 1900

Samuel Peploe made this painting, A Street, Comrie, using brushes loaded with thick oil paint, a technique called impasto. The materiality is impossible to miss. See how the paint creates small, deliberate strokes to build the forms, giving the houses, figures, and the road a solid, almost sculpted presence. This technique allows Peploe to capture the light and atmosphere of the Scottish landscape with a palpable texture. The choice of oil paint is significant. It had become the standard for fine art by this point, valued for its richness and permanence, and came ready-made in tubes. Yet, Peploe's application pushes against academic refinement; his brushwork feels immediate, even impulsive. The scene conveys the everyday life of Comrie, with figures walking and a cart moving through the village. By choosing this subject matter and rendering it with such directness, Peploe elevates the ordinary, demonstrating how materials and making can imbue a scene with extraordinary character.