Still Life. Fruit 1931

Samuel Peploe made this painting of fruit with oil on canvas, and what strikes me is how he manages to make something so traditional feel so modern. The dark blues and browns are punctuated by bright daubs of yellows and reds, and the white cloth draped underneath the fruit is built with visible brush marks. The paint is applied in layers, the brushstrokes thick, and the colours are rich. This painting is all about the stuff of painting itself! You can almost see him working, moving things around, trying out different combinations and arrangements. I imagine Peploe thinking about Cezanne, but also wanting to do his own thing. He’s looking at the world, but also at other paintings, and trying to figure out how to make something new. It's like he's asking himself and all the other painters: what can painting still do?