Weston's first interest in the pepper as a subject came in 1927, not long after his return to California from Mexico. The Mexican period was important in organizing his way of seeing. Trudy Wilner Stack observes, "...it was not until Mexico that Weston addressed the object for itself, in isolation from a scene, tableau, or other multi-part composition. Rather than setting subjects off in relation to each other, building a picture piece by piece like a painter, Weston embraced his subject whole, gathering it fully within the frame, flush with the existing form that so excited him...In his Mexican home he made photographs; strong, personal images of what surrounded him: toilet, washbasin, the figure and face of his companion and lover, small handmade toys and folk art objects, fruit. He thought these subjects were beautiful and exquisite in and of themselves and recorded them plainly, accentuating their form and character with his fine technique and carefully chosen views." Weston continued to develop this vision upon his return to California, choosing to focus much of his professional and personal work on nudes and still-lifes (Forms of Passion, pp. 135-136).

In 1929 Weston decided to work with the pepper again. Becoming increasingly fascinated by its varied forms, he recorded making twenty-six negatives of the vegetable. "I have been working so enthusiastically with the two peppers,-stimulated as I have not been for months...They are like sculpture, carved obsidian, and can be placed with my finest expression." The peppers from this period are set against a neutral background of muslin or cardboard (Daybooks II, pp. 128-131).

A year later, in 1930, Weston continued his investigation of the pepper, producing nearly thirty different images during a four-day period in August. It was during this final period of experimentation that Weston discovered a new setting for the object: a tin funnel. Weston's meticulous approach to composition and lighting is evident in the present lot. The play of light and shadow across the pepper's surface creates a sense of depth and dimension, enhancing the visual interest of the image. The sharp focus and tight framing draw attention to the pepper's unique contours, inviting viewers to appreciate its inherent complexity and elegance. Pepper No. 30 stands as an iconic representation of Edward Weston’s legacy. This image, featured on the cover of his Daybooks volume II, encapsulates Weston’s belief that the pepper series represents a pinnacle of his creative achievement.

The present lot is initialed, mounted and was printed in the mid to late 1940s. It was during this era that Weston focused on perfecting his printing technique, which you can see here in the sharpness of detail and deep tonal range. Other prints of this image are located in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and The Art Institute of Chicago.