The elegantly minimal background and shallow picture space of Pink Peonies is typical of William Nicholson's still lifes leading up to the First World War. Nicholson's flower pieces were usually composed of flowers from the artist’s garden, or from those of his friends and clients. For most of the spring and summer of 1913 Nicholson was in Paris working on the reverse glass paintings for the dining room of his friend, the American playwright Edward Knoblock (1874-1945). This work was challenging, and one can imagine the pleasure he would have experienced addressing the subject of this vase of peonies.

Nicholson's choice of these delicate pink peonies in bloom, standing in a tall upright glass vase, contrast with the strong dark shadow that falls across the wall. By lighting the flowers in a way that produces this shadow, Nicholson introduces a theatricality that adds intrigue and drama to this seemingly simple scene.