The Black Bottle 1905

Samuel Peploe painted this still life, The Black Bottle, with oil on canvas. It’s all about the joy of seeing and the pleasure of putting paint to canvas. Look how the brushstrokes build up the forms, especially that bowl with its bold strokes of color. The paint isn't trying to trick you into thinking it’s anything other than paint, but it is doing the work of describing shape and texture. It's thick in places, thin in others, and each stroke feels deliberate, like Peploe is having a conversation with his materials. The white tablecloth almost vibrates with all the blues and greys, like it is trying to come alive. He reminds me of Morandi, and his endless variations of bottles and bowls. Both of them show us that painting isn't about perfection, it's about process, about looking and seeing and finding new ways to make marks. It’s not a question of 'what is it?' but more 'what can it be?'