Landscape, South of France 1928

Curator: We're looking at Samuel Peploe’s "Landscape, South of France" from 1928. It’s an oil painting showcasing a view of a hillside village. Editor: It feels incredibly vibrant! The cool blues against those warm oranges of the rooftops...the dynamism in that contrast is striking. There's almost a push and pull across the canvas with color alone. Curator: Peploe, part of the Scottish Colourists, was heavily influenced by the Post-Impressionist movement. He spent considerable time in France and incorporated aspects of modernism in his own work. There were circles of art collectors eager to bring those international influences back home. Editor: Absolutely, and that influence is clear here. Look at the way he renders the light— broken into distinct patches of color, the thick impasto... You can almost feel the heat radiating from those buildings, even though the scene uses cool tones to convey this impression. Curator: The painting shows an increasing fascination among artists for everyday life rather than simply traditional historical or religious themes. There’s a certain democratisation in terms of subject matter—celebrating common scenes, and humble dwellings instead of just castles or royal families. Editor: And formally, the composition is interesting; the placement of those buildings, those planes, are balanced but not symmetrical; I'd call it ‘intuitively’ constructed. There's this implicit feeling of depth, and movement as your eye travels into that landscape. Curator: In many ways, it reflects a changing Scottish art market, with both artists and audiences wanting art that connected to a wider international movement. They needed to connect back to Europe. The First World War still fresh, it represented some much needed revitalization in a time when expression through modern art could truly shine. Editor: Agreed, those blocks of color feel radical. Peploe truly makes us see the architecture and surrounding landscape, rather than merely representing it in faithful detail. Curator: Peploe was certainly a key player in steering the course of art appreciation at the time. His place is certainly secure now. Editor: Absolutely, a painting offering that same feeling now as it must have at its debut.