Born in Shanghai, China, in 1977, Xu Zhen is an internationally known artist whose work is well-known in the East. He is an installation artist, photographer, painter, and performer. His work critiques the social and political conventions of both the East and the West. Xu’s works exhibit a sense of humor, sometimes black, and always inspire viewers to think about their meaning and application to current issues.

Xu received his art education at the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Institute. He was the youngest Chinese artist to show work at the prestigious Venice Biennale in 2001. His video, created in 1998, was titled “Rainbow.” In the video, a hand repeatedly slapped a man’s back until it became red.  At the Venice Biennale of 2005, he presented the video “Shouting,” also made in 1998. He explained, “This work was made at a time when people were not so individualistic. What fascinated me as an artist then was the relationship between the individual and society. The act of shouting in a crowd of strangers is a way of showing my own existence. I wanted to create a moment that said, ‘I’m here!’”

“ShangArt Supermarket” (2007)

Xu created “ShangArt Supermarket” (2007) for Art Basel in Miami. The installation was an entire supermarket with products familiar to both Chinese and American consumers. All the packages, created in detail including prices, were empty. Viewers were fascinated and were eager to purchase the empty containers. He set up the supermarket in China with the same results: his empty boxes were eagerly purchased and are now displayed in various locations.

In 2000, Xu founded the non-profit art center Bizart. His team created exhibitions and events to bring more art to the public. In 2009, he established MadeIn, an art creation company. The company’s name was a play on the common commercial label “Made in China.” MadeIn introduced in 2013 the brand name Xu Zhen, making him a product of the company. The following year the MadeIn Gallery was opened to introduce and promote international contemporary artists and younger talent.

“Poseidon” (2014)

In 2014, Xu began the series Eternity. “Poseidon” (2014) (79’’x87’’x16’’), exhibited here on the beach at De Haan, Belgium, duplicates the classical bronze statue of Poseidon by Praxiteles (460 BCE) discovered at the bottom of the sea off Cape Artemision in Greece. The original bronze statue is 81” tall.  When exhibited outdoors, the statue’s outstretched arms became resting places for pigeons. The birds are not pigeons; they are painted Peking ducks. Peking Duck is a popular dish in America and China. Special preparation includes inflating the duck skin for roasting, the result a crispy skin and tender meat. 

“European Thousand Arms Classical Sculpture” (2015)

“European Thousand Arms Classical Sculpture” (2015) (10’x48’x15’) also is part of the Eternity series. It is composed of reproductions of famous Greek sculptures lined up behind the Goddess Athena. She wears a Greek warrior helmet since she is the Goddess of War.  Her necklace is made of the snakes cut from Medusa’s head, and beside her is a large snake, mouth open, ready to strike. Behind her, lines of statues of Apollo, Zeus, Poseidon, Hercules, and other Greek heroes, many with their arms extended.

This work was influenced by the most popular Chinese Mahayana Buddhist figure of the Thousand-Hand Guanyin. She is a bodhisattva, one who delays entering Nirvana to remain on Earth in order to help others. Her thousand hands have eyes in their palms, representing her ability to see suffering and identify each person’s need. She is the bodhisattva of Compassion. The thousand arms of the classical figures are positioned in the manner of images of the Thousand-Hand Guanyin. East meets West, but the European lack of understanding of Chinese Buddhism, may lead to misunderstanding. For example, much of the male Greek sculpture may be interpreted as a massive fighting army to do great harm, not to fight evil and misery as Guanyin does. Xu hopes to promote understanding.  

“Heavenly Guardian, Sleeping Muse” (2016)

In “Heavenly Guardian, Sleeping Muse” (2016) (93’’x40’’x24’’), another image from the Eternity series, Xu combines a Chinese Tang Tomb Guardian figure from the 8th Century with the 20th Century sculpture “Sleeping Muse” (1910) by Brancusi. Tomb Guardians were powerful and ferocious looking. They were intended to frighten and defeat evil spirits who wanted to disturb the dead.

The Tang figure is made of terracotta, as are many of the originals, and it is larger than most original tomb figures. Brancusi’s original “Muse” is cast bronze (6.5”x11”x8”). Xu’s is considerably larger and is raised high into the air by the tomb guardian. The combination of the figures represents the contrast between power and peace. The use of clay and bronze, represents a contrast between in the value of the materials. The “Sleeping Muse” is passive and meditative. The Tang figure is about force and protection. They initially do not seem to belong together, but they form a unique whole that inspires thought.

 Xu’s explanation makes sense: “When I play with cultural elements, they don’t carry the same weight as they do for others. It’s not a lack of respect but I feel I can be audacious with such forms because I have a greater distance from them.” 

“Hello” (2018-19)

“Hello” (2018-19) (stainless steel, Styrofoam, polyurethane, silicone, paint, and a robotic mechanism) is a toppled Corinthian column like those found in many Greek and Roman temples. Xu has not broken the shaft into pieces; they remain connected and curl around like the body of a snake. Snakes play a significant role in Greek mythology. They are symbols of knowledge, healing, and connection between the Earth and the underworld. The column’s capital, with its wide mouth, is mechanically engineered to follow the viewer. Surprise!  Xu explains, “Here, I’ve used a traditional thing and renewed it in some way. It also has a threatening aspect, like the imperial civilizations in the Greek tradition, of a power system over you, a bit like a shadow. It’s interesting because, in the West, such columns would be used in official buildings such as courthouses and banks, whereas they most often appear in front of public baths in China, or places where you can sing karaoke.”

“Hello” (2022)

“Hello” has been in several exhibitions. Stanford University commissioned in 2022 a fifteen-foot bronze piece for the inaugural exhibition of the Stanford Plinth Project, a new sculpture garden, located in Meyer Green, a 2.45-acre open space. “Hello” sits on a plinth among tall cedar trees, greeting visitors. 

“Alien I” (2017)

“Alien I” (2017) (31’x28’x47’) is composed of 28 kneeling figures in a wire caged prison setting. The pose of the figures in derived from Eastern Han Dynasty kneeling servant figures dating from c. 206 CE. The color of the robes immediately suggests today’s orange prison uniforms. The black head gear makes the figures anonymous and calls to mind the black head coverings worn by prisoners in detention centers.  The viewer is in some way the prison guard. Xu mentions the constant media coverage of such images today, and the desensitization of people about oppression.

“St Peter’s Basilica” (2023)

Xu began in 2023 a series of sculptures he called Tools. Using modern day commonly used commercial items, he created sculptures. “St. Peter’s Basilica” (71”x71”x41″) is one of several significant Catholic churches depicted in the series.  Filled hand sanitizer bottles replace the domes of St Peter’s. Viewers are encouraged to use the hand sanitizer. Xu combines the great items of history and art with one of the most commonly used products today. 

“Roman Columns and Meat Grinder” (2024)

In “Roman Columns and Meat Grinder” (2024) (35’x16’x12’) Xu uses once again a Roman Corinthian column, symbolic as the stabilizer of Western culture. Romans assimilated the knowledge of Greek philosophy, literature, and art into their system of law and administration, creating the core of Western culture. This time the column is put through a meat grinder which instead of mincing it into little pieces, produces multiple columns. 

In 2019 an interviewer asked Xu the question: “Many of your works walk a line between humor and darkness, between hope and threat. What draws you to this way of making?” Xu responded, “Perhaps it’s related to my own temperament. When I create a work, I’m always trying to find some kind of contradiction. I don’t like it to be completely white or black. When people look at my works, they sometimes try to find the black part or the white part. Through that, there’s a kind of democratic aspect, a kind of balance you can find in it. After creating work for twenty years, I wonder if it might also be related to the Chinese tradition of the yin and yang. While my work might appear direct, when you really try to understand it, I hope the meaning becomes a bit more blurry in the end.”

NOTE: Xu’s sculptures are composed of a variety of materials depending on the need. Among them are glass fiber, reinforced concrete, marble grains, limestone, chalk, artificial stone, sandstone grains, steel, and mineral pigments. The process includes scanning the original sculptures, working with 3D software, printing parts, and hand molding and casting. 

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years. Since retiring to Chestertown with her husband Kurt in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and the Institute of Adult Learning, Centreville. An artist, she sometimes exhibits work at River Arts. She also paints sets for the Garfield Theater in Chestertown.

Patricia Tobacco Forrester was born in 1940 in North Hampton, Massachusetts, and she died in 2011 in Washington, DC. When her grandfather, bearing the last name Tobczynski, arrived at Ellis Island, the authorities changed it to Tobacco. The family had a small farm where they raised asparagus, cucumbers, and tobacco. Patricia’s interest in art began early in life. She graduated (Phi Beta Kappa) in 1962 from Smith College in Massachusetts. She earned a bachelor’s degree in printmaking and sculpture. A teacher and major influence was Leonard Baskin (1922-2000), a well-known American sculptor and printmaker. She went on to earn a BFA (1963) and an MFA (1965) from Yale University. She married and divorced Alex Forrester in the 1960s.  

“Under Cypresses” (1967)

Forrester received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1967 and produced a series of etchings. “Under Cypresses” (1967) (18”x24”) (etching) is in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in Washington, DC. Beginning with her earliest works, she exhibited an interest in nature observed up-close and in minute detail. She was fascinated by the massive cypress trunk with its twisting branches, rough bark patterns, and the sea grasses growing around it. Her work would continue to show the amazing twists, turns, and textures of nature. 

She met and married Paul Ekman in San Francisco. Ekman became an international expert on body language, human emotions, and psychology. They traveled to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. He studied the people, and she studied and painted the landscape. She continued to live in San Francisco after her divorce from Ekman in the late 1970s. In addition to making art, she served from 1972 until 1981 on the faculty of the Californian College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. She then moved east, teaching at Kent State University in Ohio (1981) and the Art Institute of Chicago (1982). She resided in Washington, DC, in 1982 until her death in 2011.

Most of Forrester’s work covered in this article can be found in local museums and collections. 

“Monjas Blancas at the Volcana’’ (1988)

Forrester’s travels to exotic locations continued throughout her life. Her chosen medium was watercolor. Watercolor paintings in general tended to be small in scale. However, Forrester chose the unexpected size of 40” by 60” for her watercolors. They were a great success, bringing her recognition, exhibitions, commissions, and sales.

Her love of nature determined her subject matter, and her love of watercolor determined her media. “Monjas Blancas at the Volcana’’ (White Nuns at the Volcano) (1988) (40”x60”) (watercolor) was painted in Guatemala. Seated on the ground, with her large 40”x60” watercolor paper, she painted en plein air, a tremendously difficult feat that produced remarkable paintings. 

“Avila, Caracas” (1990)

“Avila, Caracas” (1990) (40”x60”) (watercolor) (Easton Museum of Art, Easton MD) was painted in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, set in the Andes mountains.  At El Avila National Park the mountains rise 9072 feet above the City. With her usual attention to minute detail, Forrester painted a variety of flowering plants, grasses, trees, and shrubs, with rocky cliffs in the distance. Avila Park is a popular hiking destination. 

Forrester was elected in 1992 to the National Academy of Design in New York City as an associate member, and in 1994 she became a full Academician. The National Academy of Design is the premier professional honorary organization for American artists and architects.  Academy members nominate and elect their peers, and the number of members is limited to just 450. Artists cannot apply for membership.

“Barbados” (1995)

“Barbados” (1995) (40”x60”) (watercolor) (National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC) is an example of why Forrester frequently called her work abstract because of the “accidental nature of watercolor.” Her images are not pre-planned but evolve as she paints.  Barbados, one of the many island nations off the north coast of South America, has a rich environment of tropical plants. A little bit of the sky and the blue waters of the Atlantic are included in the composition. The on-line images of the paintings by Forrester do not capture the complexity and uniqueness of her work. The following two details may help.

“Barbados” (detail lower left corner)

Forrester uses two different watercolor techniques. Dry watercolor applies paint to the dry surface of the paper, which results in crisper edges of images. Most notable here are the dark background areas on which the flowers are painted. The wet-on-wet technique requires the paper to be wet when the paint is applied. This is where surprises can occur, as the watercolor paint spreads uncontrolled across the wet surface. The effect can be seen in the soft edges of the paint on the large red blossom. Forrester appreciated the surprise effect, and she embraced the technique in her paintings.

“Barbados” (detail middle left)

In this detail, the light branches form an interesting crisscross composition, while patterns representing leaves and flowers dance in front of the dark background. The whole composition of the painting works, but often another composition is contained in a single detail of a Forrester painting. 

“Great Blue Divide”

A prolific painter and sometime printmaker, Forrester did not lack subject matter or commissions during the 29 years she resided in Washington, DC.  She found inspiration in the many parks, the National Arboretum, and other beautiful places nearby in Maryland and Virginia.  “Great Blue Divide” (40”x60”) (date unknown) was painted at Great Falls National Park, along the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Forrester traveled from Washing back to San Francisco and the Islands, particularly during the winter months. Her favorite destination was Costa Rica, where health issues developed that eventually led to her death. 

Forrester’s work can be found in Hillwood Estates Museum and Gardens, the White House, the Executive Office Building, the Washington Convention Center, the US Department of State, and private residences. She donated a large collection of her work to the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. Her work also is included in the collections of The Brooklyn Museum in New York City, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the British Museum in London, among others. 

Forrester once remarked about the National Arboretum, “I think I know almost every tree and flower there.”

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years. Since retiring to Chestertown with her husband Kurt in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and the Institute of Adult Learning, Centreville. An artist, she sometimes exhibits work at River Arts. She also paints sets for the Garfield Theater in Chestertown.

Symmetrical elegance and Federal-style details frame the iconic silhouette of “George.”

The streets surrounding Idlewild Park contain a variety of  house styles including this distinguished Federal style house on its deep corner lot. Elements of the Federal style that are found in this house include its five-bay symmetrical  arrangement of both horizontal and vertical rows of 6/6 windows and shutters surrounding the fanlight over the door in a shallow entry vestibule. The main house was built in 1948 and with a one-story sunroom at one side.  

Each week on my way to choir practice at SSPP Church, as I drove past this stately whitewashed brick house, I admired its setting with an ivy-covered iron fence along the Town sidewalk and the towering presence of the majestic “Grand Campion Pin Oak” of Talbot County. The Owners nicknamed the tree “George,” and the spread of his canopy extends over half of the street! At night, recently installed uplighting at the property’s front and back yards adds drama to the nocturnal facades.

Layered landscaping unfolds beneath the graceful canopy of “Martha,” embracing hardscaped geometry.

The deep rear yard contains both hardscape and landscape, including  a smaller Pin Oak the Owners named “Martha” for they imagined her arms were reaching out to “George” and a large crape myrtle whose summer blooms are not far away.  Gardeners would be enchanted by the plantings including irises and tulips, the fragrance of honeysuckle and the gentle sound of the koi pond’s waterfall.  On the day of my visit, I admired the shadows of the trees’ limbs that overlap the joints of the hardscape’s joints. The openness of the terrace’s outdoor room is balanced by the screened enclosure of the gazebo with its long vista over the garden to the house. The property’s bonuses are the storage outbuilding at the rear of the property and off-street parking for three cars, accessed from the side street. 

Behind the red front door, harmonious vistas and precise architectural flow through the center hall plan.

A red door signifies welcome, safety and prosperity and this house’s red door opens to multiple vistas from the entry vestibule that clearly define the center hall floor plan for  easy flow among the rooms. On either side of the door are newly installed custom closets with wood doors, crown molding and the sisal stair runner. The light gray walls and crisp white trim are discrete backdrops for the Owners’ furnishings of antiques and other pieces.

Refined symmetry meets warmth with bespoke millwork and the timeless charm of a wood-burning hearth.

The wide wall opening at one side wall of the foyer frames the view of the spacious living room that spans the full depth of the house. I admired how the furnishings’ upholstery picked up colors from the beautiful Oriental rug over the refinished original wood floors. The working wood burning fireplace adds ambiance during winter evenings between the bespoke millwork for one’s display of family photos, books, collectibles, etc. The French door leads to the adjacent family room. 

Grasscloth walls, wide windows, and rich brick ground this cozy retreat in its history

Since the family room’s exposed foundation was brick and the wall cladding is siding, this room might have originally been an open porch with a brick floor. Now the earth tone of the grasscloth wall covering creates a cozy spot for watching TV or for unwinding after one’s workday. The plantation shutters over the wide windows provide privacy or filtered sunlight.

Glass-paneled views lend versatility to this space for games, dining, or endless garden gazes.

The rear wall of the family room has a glass paneled door with steps to the rear landscaped and hardscaped yard. The table and chairs can be an informal dining space or space for board games, cards or my fave, puzzles.  As I stood in front of the wide window opening in the original brick wall of the house, I savored the long vista through the living room, past the powder room, and ending at the kitchen.

Antique grace meets architectural precision beneath the glow of a crystal chandelier.

I made my way back to the foyer to its other wide wall opening into the exquisite dining room filled with antiques including the graceful oval wood table and Queen Anne chairs below the period crystal chandelier. Another large and beautiful Oriental rug anchors the tables and chairs. 

Mahogany details shine against brocade-inspired walls, echoing timeless elegance for gatherings.

I especially admired the dining room’s stunning mahogany breakfront with silver pieces glistening behind the glass doors. The wood wainscot and the Thibaut wallpaper whose pattern resembles brocade wraps around the room to create an elegant setting for memorable meals. The finishing touches of the custom window treatments blend into the wallpaper for a unifying look.

Sleek granite countertops and stainless appliances redefine this historic kitchen for a gourmet future.

Previous Owners had remodeled the kitchen with tile flooring, wood cabinets and granite countertops. The dual ovens, gas stove, island cooktop and stainless appliances are ready to please the next gourmet cook. The side door opens into a short hall past the powder room to the living room.

Thoughtfully contrasted cabinetry frames functional beauty with garden views.

The island’s color contrasts with the other wood cabinets and the overhang at the edge provides space for breakfast or snacks. The window over the sink overlooks the landscaped side yard.

A pet-friendly entrance harmonizes mudroom utility with backyard vistas through French doors.

At the rear of the kitchen is a cozy area with a half French/half paneled  door with a view of “Martha”. The pet door insert for the family dogs allows them to freely access the large fenced back yard for their daily exercise. The door is also the primary access from the parking area so the space is a combo mud room/breakfast room with a wall mounted rack for jackets and coats and a chest of drawers for storage. The wood table and bentwood chairs creates a restful spot for that second cup of morning coffee. Opposite this area is a wet bar/coffee bar, conveniently located  for outdoor entertaining. 

Vintage charm and period-inspired design transform the first-floor powder room into a refined functional corner.

The main floor’s powder room has privacy from its location on the hall between the living room and the kitchen. The vintage pieces of both the nightstand that has a new life as a lavatory and the towel rack, the white wainscot and light blue walls create a delightful period -inspired space. 

A sunlit nook creates architectural utility with scenic views over lush landscapes.

The combo of the stairs that lead to the second floor and the hall width to the guest bedrooms creates a wide nook with a window overlooking the rear yard’s landscaping. The nook has myriad uses but this mini-office is perfect for a household that needs two office areas.

Expansive dimensions accommodate antique craftsmanship, defining serenity within elegant simplicity.

The second floor also contains three bedrooms and two baths. The corner primary bedroom spans the full depth of the house. The room’s spacious size easily accommodates the scale of the antique furnishings and I especially admired the beautiful bed frame with its four posts with an arched headboard. The door at the corner leads to a walk-in closet next to the primary bath at the front of the house. This buffer from traffic on the street creates a serene space for sleep.

Delicate toile wallpaper and carefully chosen repurposed pieces elevate this space with a designer’s touch.

I loved the primary bath’s designer toile wallpaper with its pattern of flying dragonflies that stretches the space. A former sideboard now has a new life as a stylish lavatory and the tile flooring’s color complements the wallpaper. The plantation shutters’ slats can be adjusted for sunlight or privacy. 

Dual-purpose design captures open views across the lush greenery of the rear yard.

The rear corner guest bedroom also overlooks the rear yard landscaping and is currently furnished as a home office. The two windows offer panoramic views of the neighborhood.

Tranquil light green walls complement tailored furnishings for guest-centered comfort.

The front corner guest bedroom has everything a guest requires- soothing light green walls, colorful floral bedspread with matching valances over the windows, highboy, desk with a computer, and a TV strategically placed opposite the bed.    

A vintage porcelain sink sublimely enhances this compact, sunlit retreat.

This compact hall bath’s spatial volume feels larger than it is due to the light colored walls and to the white vintage porcelain lavatory’ s legs, instead of a cabinet on the floor. The wide window provides ample light and the plantation shutters’ slats can be adjusted for sunlight or privacy. 

Sloped ceilings and high knee walls create inviting architectural charm under the gable ends.

Another staircase leads to the third floor hall with two guest bedrooms, one bath and a large storage closet. The two spacious guest bedrooms are tucked under the gable ends at each side of the house, which creates delightful interior architecture with high knee walls and sloped ceilings to the underside of the framing above. The wide doors at the knee walls open into storage areas. The other bedroom has a single wide window at the gable wall. 

Storage solutions blend seamlessly with cozy nooks for bird’s-eye views of rooftops and treetops

Each third floor bedroom has identical charming nooks at the rear wall that create mini-dressing areas with wide closets. The top of the built-in seating is hinged for more storage. What a marvelous space to stretch out and enjoy the bird’s eye views of the landscape below and the rooftops and treetops of Easton! 

This stately house’s numerous amenities begin with its prime location on a deep corner lot with views of Idlewild Park and the house’s landscaped rear yard, off-street parking, classic Federal architecture and mimimal hall space that creates a compact floor plan with easy flow among the rooms. Spacous living room and formal dining room, cozy family room, gourmet kitchen, primary ensuite on the second floor and two other bedrooms, one of which is a spacious office, two other guest bedrooms on the  third floor tucked the gable walls create a home for family living. The beautiful wood floors, high ceilings, moldings and trim, custom plantation shutters, stair runners, window and wall treatments are a gracious backdrop for the next Owner’s furnishings.  There is abundant storage on every floor, including a dry basement, with both interior and exterior access, that contains a laundry and many storage racks. Outdoor rooms of the fenced rear yard’s large stone terrace and screened gazebo for relaxing to the soothing sound of the koi pond’s waterfall, and off-street parking from the side street. The Owners have meticulously maintained and improved the house and grounds so it is move-in ready- Bravo!

For more information about this property, contact Tiffany Cloud with Meredith Fine Properties at 410-745-8060 (o), 570-751-8637 (c), or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.meredithfineproperties.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity.”  Tiffany Cloud is both the Owner and the MD licensed Listing Agent.

Photography by JM Real Estate Photography, www.jmrealestatephotos.com , [email protected] , 410-971-0027

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Since ancient times, poppies have been used for a variety of purposes and given a variety of symbolic meanings. Red and white poppies were described in ancient documents. The flowers play a part in many cultures because they grow in both the heat and dryness of deserts and in colder climes. Perhaps the earliest record of poppies was created by the Sumerians (c. 6000-3500 BCE) in Mesopotamia, now Southern Iraq. Their civilization was located along the Silk Road. The use of red poppies for opium spread through the known world. The Egyptians associated opium poppies with Osiris, God of Death, the Underworld, and agriculture. Osiris was killed and then was resurrected. Poppies became symbols of death, regeneration, and eternal life. Ancient Japan and China made similar connections. 

Morpheus, the God of dreams and sleep in Greek myths, was associated with morphine. Nyx was the Goddess of Night, and her twin sons were Hypnos, God of slumber, and Thanatos, God of death. The Roman poet Virgil described in the Aeneid (25 BCE) the death of Euryalus: “His lovely limbs and shoulders/ Poured streams of blood; his neck sank limply down:/ So, cut off by a plow, a purple flower/ Faints away into death; so poppies bend/ Their weary necks when rain weighs down their heads.” 

Opium also was used in witchcraft.  A modern example is in Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900): Dorothy and her companions fell asleep as they ran through the poppy field toward Oz. Beyond opium, morphine, and later heroine, poppy seed oil was used in cooking for its carbohydrates, calcium, and protein. It also is used in some paint, varnish, and cosmetics.

“The Poppy Fields near Argenteuil” (1873)

Monet painted “The Poppy Fields near Argenteuil” (1873) (20”x26’’) when he returned to France after going to London to avoid the Franco-Prussian war. He and his family settled in Argenteuil, a small town seven miles north of Paris. Monet was developing his “plein air” and Impressionist style, and he found much to see and paint in the local landscape. The poppy field provided him the opportunity to use the complementary colors found in sunlight. Set against the green leaves and grass, the red poppies are abundant. They grow approximately three feet tall, and the blooms are often six inches in diameter. The child in the foreground is waist deep in the flowers. Monet suggests the breeze in the poppy field with loose brush strokes rather than precise ones. 

He uses the bright colors of the poppy field to create a diagonal aspect. The other side of the field is painted in horizontal patches of muted tones of yellow and light purple and light blue and orange, pairs of complementary colors. The composition of Madame Monet’s black jacket, hair, and hat bow draw the viewer’s attention to the dark green trees along the horizon and to the second mother and child placed at the hilltop. Madame Monet’s distinctive blue green parasol under the blue sky and scudding white clouds suggests a sunny and slightly breezy day. The painting was included in the first Impressionist Exhibition in1874.

“Poppy Field near Vetheuil” (1879)

“Poppy Field near Vetheuil” (1879) (29’’x36’’) was painted when Monet rented a small house in Lavacourt, across the Seine from Vetheuil. He also had a houseboat, a floating studio, that allowed him to move up and down the Seine and to paint the landscapes as he saw them. He painted 15 scenes of Vetheuil from the balcony of his house. This view of the poppy field most likely was from the boat. His loose brush work and colors in the sky give the overall impression of a coming storm. Monet found seasonal and daily weather conditions interesting to explore in paint. The colors of the red poppies, green landscape, and white buildings of Vetheuil are intense. There is a chill in the air. The Seine at Vetheuil was a busy commercial shipping lane. Monet chose to present the town and the area as the small farming community it was. 

“Vase with Red Poppies” (1886)

Vincent Van Gogh painted seven different paintings of poppies between 1888 and 1890. “Vase with Red Poppies” (1886) (22’’x18’’) is one of Van Gogh’s early paintings, made while he was in Paris. The artist had little money and could not pay for models, so still-life painting was more practical. Red poppies were readily available in the large fields in southern France, and they were among the cheaper flowers. Van Gogh renders the poppies in a more realistic manner than Monet. The viewer cannot count the four to six petals on each flower. The black centers formed by stamen in a whorl are depicted, and the number of unopened buds show the large number of poppies that were available. This early Van Gogh piece does not yet contain the exuberant brush work familiar to viewers, except in the swirling blue background. 

Van Gogh was after the brilliance of color, and he achieved it. In a letter to fellow artist Horace Livens, he wrote, “And now for what regards what I myself have been doing, I have lacked money for paying models else I had entirely given myself to figure painting. But I have made a series of colour studies in painting, simply flowers, red poppies, blue cornflowers, and myositis, white and rose roses, yellow chrysanthemums-seeking oppositions of blue with orange, red and green, yellow, and violet…Trying to render intense colour and not a grey harmony…So as we said at the time: in colour seeking life the true drawing is modelling with colour.”

“Field with Poppies” (1889)

Van Gogh painted “Field with Poppies” (1889) (23”x36’’) in June, one month after he voluntarily signed himself into the St Paul Asylum in St Remy, France.  The Asylum was a former monastery, and it was surrounded by gardens, olive groves, cyprus trees, and poppies. With his brother Theo’s help, he was assigned two adjoining rooms on the first floor, one room to serve as his bedroom and the other his studio. Van Gogh was not allowed outside the asylum grounds during the early months of his confinement, and the windows were barred. His mental and physical health were unpredictable. When he felt better, his paintings were rich with vibrant colors. His brush work varied from spiral as in the foreground to the more controlled vertical and horizontal strokes as can be seen in the background. 

Letters to family and friends were sometimes positive and sometimes negative, as unpredictable as his health. At one point he wrote, “I feel happier here with my work than I could be outside. By staying here a good long time, I shall have learned regular habits and in the long run the result will be more order in my life.”[ Van Gogh’s numerous paintings included “Starry Night” (1889) and his Iris paintings. Theo reported that Vincent’s work was becoming more appreciated.

“Flanders Field” (1921)

The illustrated manuscript “Flanders Field” (1921) (22”x30’’) was inspired by the famous poem by John McCrae for a limited edition of his poems In Flanders Field and Other Poems, published in 1921. McCrea was a Montreal surgeon and a poet. He served as an officer and a surgeon in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I. His first battle was the Second Battle of Ypres, Belgium, where his friend and fellow soldier Lieutenant Alexis Helmer was killed. Since the chaplain was unavailable, McCrea led the burial ceremony on May 3, 1915. He noticed how red poppies grew quickly in the soil that was heavy with lime as a result of the bombing. Few other plants could grow in that soil. At the grave the day after the funeral, McCrae wrote down a few lines that would become the beginning of the poem. Sitting in the back of an ambulance the following day, he finished the poem. Legend states that he threw the poem away because he was not satisfied with it, but his fellow soldiers rescued it. McCrae’s poem was published anonymously by the London magazine Punch on December 8, 1915.

In Flanders Field (1921) was illuminated by Ernest Clegg (1876-1954). A trained artist from Birmingham, England, he worked for Tiffany and Co. in New York City as a heraldry designer and illustrator.  When WWI broke out, he returned to England and became a Captain in the Seventh Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment. He served as a commander on the Western Front. His illustration depicts the first verse of McCrea’s poem. 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.


We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.


Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years. Since retiring to Chestertown with her husband Kurt in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and the Institute of Adult Learning, Centreville. An artist, she sometimes exhibits work at River Arts. She also paints sets for the Garfield Theater in Chestertown.