Peploe

    Go, if you can, to the S.J. Peploe exhibition, on at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (the former Dean Gallery) until the 23rd. of June. This is the second in their Scottish Colourist series - we had F.C.B. Cadell last year - and it gives a clear impression of the artist's range, preoccupations and changing style.

    Vexingly, of my fourteen favourite works, very few are available to buy in humble postcard form, and it's also disappointing how inaccurate the colours can be when reproduced, even on the gallery's own site, but for what it's worth my highlights were:

The Coffee Pot, c.1905

Pink roses in blue and white vase, black background, c.1906

Mrs. Peploe, c.1907

The White Dress, c.1908 - I can't find this online, but it's wonderfully vivid and ethereal at the same time.

Spring, Comrie, c.1902 (the real thing is truly springlike and fresh).

Barra, c.1903

Tulips - The Blue Jug, c.1919 (above)

Boy reading, early 1920s

Willy Peploe, c.1930

Tulips and fruit, c.1919 (below)

Green Sea, Iona, c.1920

Morar, 1923

White Lilies, mid-1920s

Still Life with Plaster Cast, c.1931

    The video which accompanies the exhibition and places the artist in context includes footage of Guy Peploe, the painter's grandson, himself an art dealer and author of a book on his grandfather's work, and art historian Elizabeth Cumming on Peploe's interest in exploring the intellectual possibilities of the still life.

Comments

[Martina]

Love these works Cornflower. We revelled in our visit to this gallery in May last year
Our first visit to Scotland and I took your inspiring suggestions of a walk this way from New Town Every aspect was perfect including the weather! Many thanks. And now this to delight
Pity I am now on the other side of the globe

[Claire]

We are going to go to this very soon. Loved the Cadell last year - I wonder if I'm going to enjoy this as much. If this is part of a series who is going to be next?

[Cornflower]

Great! I'm so glad to hear it all lived up to expectations, Martina.

[Cornflower]

I did enjoy this one as much, Claire, and I think it's Fergusson next.

[Claire]

Oh, that'll be interesting. I don't believe I like him as much as the other two but we'll certainly visit. We're lucky to have lots of Fergussons in Perth.

[Rose]

I am already booked in (coming up in June) and my daughter saw the show a couple of weeks ago - thought some of the paintings were just a bit too bright and jarring but hey! this is coming from someone who is designing sets and costumes for A Winter's Tale set in the French Polynesian Islands in the time of Gaugin - I think that's bright! My lovely, lovely girl...a proud Mummy.

[Cornflower]

I think my favourites are Cadell and Peploe, but then I know them better than the others.
I went to a Colourists exhibition (all four of them together) a few years ago, so it's great to see the Gallery doing this series now and giving each man proper space and time.

[Cornflower]

Wonderful!
I'm sure you'll enjoy it, Rose.

[Florence]

What gorgeous colours (even if you do say they aren't true to the originals)! I'd never heard of Peploe but I've now added the biography to my TBR list. I do wish I could see more of his work - this is such a tantalizing glimpse!

[Cornflower]

I hope you'll get the chance, Florence. The exhibition catalogue is also available: http://www.nationalgalleries.org/shop/online-shop/theme/1176/product/23380 or http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/S-J-Peploe-Alice-Strang/9780300189766

[adele geras]

I envy you this exhibition! Wish I could see it. Wish there were POSTCARDS....wishwishwish...Thanks for posting links to all the paintings you love. I love them too!

[Cornflower]

I assume that the fact there are so few postcards, relatively speaking, is because many of the works in the exhibition are in private collections, and the time and effort involved in getting permissions and licensing, etc. might be too great to be worth it. Always a pity when you can't take home a small reminder of your favourite pictures, though.