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Lot Essay
Throughout his career Peploe strove to paint the perfect still life, coming nearest to this ideal in the late 1920s. His desire for perfection in his work was obtained through his vigorous approach to the genre, his temperament making him ideally suited to the task. His calm reasoning and thoughtful manner enabled him to make a careful analysis of the problems which face the still life painter, as he set about resolving them in a series of works which includes many of his satisfying paintings. 'There is so much in mere objects, flowers, leaves, jugs, what not - colours, forms, relation - I can never see mystery coming to an end' (S.J. Peploe in S. Cursiter, Peploe, London, 1947, p. 73). It was his approach to the 'colours, forms, relation' that he was able to adapt and extend, developing his still lifes into more sophisticated and subtle works.
Looking at Still Life with Pink Roses and Oranges in a blue and white vase, Peploe - typically of this period - synthesises traditional composition with an exploration of the decorative. Earlier still life paintings, especially in the 1900s, had established a sense of depth through reflection of form: this is still present here in the green tablecloth, but he has moved towards a rich patterning of colour, seen expressly in the painting of the pink roses against black and white, perhaps conveying his admiration for Matisse. Blue is used to outline the vase, roses and bowl whilst at the same time the diagonal lines and different planes of the picture add a handsome perspective to the composition. Reducing form to its essentials, Peploe is concerned above all with the intellectual, formal values of the elements in his composition.
Painting with very bright and pure colour during this period, Peploe's still lifes burst with rich tones. Still Life with Pink Roses and Oranges in a blue and white vase exemplifies his use of vivid colour with heavy outline: the roses and vase almost appear to be spotlit; the oranges sing out with their strikingly citrus tones, contrasting dramatically with the luxurious dark drapery in the background. The rich colouring, dramatic juxtaposition of the vase, and the geometric lines of the drapes combine to create a rhythmic harmony of colour and form which is typical of his best work of this period.
Still Life with Pink Roses and Oranges in a blue and white vase clearly suggests the influence of the French Post-Impressionists upon the artist. Peploe's richness of colour and confidence in handling paint was greatly inspired by Cézanne. Honeyman writes 'Peploe and Hunter ... were among the first in Britain to understand what Cézanne was attempting to do, and they never ceased to be aware of colour as the fundamental element in pictorial art' (T.J. Honeyman, Three Scottish Colourists, Edinburgh, 1950, p. 43.)
Peploe regarded still lifes as serious works: requiring a considered intellectual effort allied to a careful hand and sure sense of colour and pattern. The bright, bursting colour, use of perspective and the meticulous set up of the objects in Still Life with Pink Roses and Oranges in a blue and white vase typify Peploe's style and approach to the genre.
Looking at Still Life with Pink Roses and Oranges in a blue and white vase, Peploe - typically of this period - synthesises traditional composition with an exploration of the decorative. Earlier still life paintings, especially in the 1900s, had established a sense of depth through reflection of form: this is still present here in the green tablecloth, but he has moved towards a rich patterning of colour, seen expressly in the painting of the pink roses against black and white, perhaps conveying his admiration for Matisse. Blue is used to outline the vase, roses and bowl whilst at the same time the diagonal lines and different planes of the picture add a handsome perspective to the composition. Reducing form to its essentials, Peploe is concerned above all with the intellectual, formal values of the elements in his composition.
Painting with very bright and pure colour during this period, Peploe's still lifes burst with rich tones. Still Life with Pink Roses and Oranges in a blue and white vase exemplifies his use of vivid colour with heavy outline: the roses and vase almost appear to be spotlit; the oranges sing out with their strikingly citrus tones, contrasting dramatically with the luxurious dark drapery in the background. The rich colouring, dramatic juxtaposition of the vase, and the geometric lines of the drapes combine to create a rhythmic harmony of colour and form which is typical of his best work of this period.
Still Life with Pink Roses and Oranges in a blue and white vase clearly suggests the influence of the French Post-Impressionists upon the artist. Peploe's richness of colour and confidence in handling paint was greatly inspired by Cézanne. Honeyman writes 'Peploe and Hunter ... were among the first in Britain to understand what Cézanne was attempting to do, and they never ceased to be aware of colour as the fundamental element in pictorial art' (T.J. Honeyman, Three Scottish Colourists, Edinburgh, 1950, p. 43.)
Peploe regarded still lifes as serious works: requiring a considered intellectual effort allied to a careful hand and sure sense of colour and pattern. The bright, bursting colour, use of perspective and the meticulous set up of the objects in Still Life with Pink Roses and Oranges in a blue and white vase typify Peploe's style and approach to the genre.