◆ Samuel John Peploe R.S.A (Scottish 1871-1935) Still life of roses and pear

Signed, oil on canvas (Dimensions: 49.5cm x 40cm (19.5in x 15.75in))

(49.5cm x 40cm (19.5in x 15.75in))

Provenance:

Provenance: Duncan Miller Fine Arts, London Note: Samuel John Peploe remains particularly celebrated for his beautifully executed still-life paintings. An elegant example of Peploe’s mastery of colour and composition, Still Life of Roses and Pear is a quintessentially Colourist painting. It was towards the end of his life, in 1929, over 35 years after he first started his artistic training, that Peploe claimed, ‘There is so much in mere objects, flowers, leaves, jugs, what not - colours, forms, relation - I can never see mystery coming to an end’ . This acknowledgment of the joy and inspiration he found in this genre as an artist, applies just as equally to our enjoyment of the works as viewers. The props, objects and subjects repeat, yet the delight continues in the skill and variety of his creations and interpretations of these masterfully composed pieces. In Still Life of Roses and Pear , Peploe demonstrates his talent for strong colour and superb composition. The painting has a freshness and vivacity, from the chalky white of the crumpled tablecloth to the jagged two-tone lines he uses to outline key components of the composition. The roses are framed in complementary blues which allow the pink petals to coruscate against the white background. The gentle but powerful, bold tones of the red and green striped material behind the central vase and flowers add lift to the whole painting. This is the eldest and most commercially successful of the Scottish Colourists in his element. An assured and confident painting, Still Life of Roses and Pear displays the handling and painterly freedom that made Peploe’s name, brought success and built a reputation that endures in the Scottish art market to this day.