The Poppy Field near Argenteuil

When Claude Monet returned from the United Kingdom in 1871 and stayed in Argenteuil with his family until 1878, he painted The Poppy Field.

Despite Camille's worsening health, it was a time when the artist felt most fulfilled as a painter. Monet's art dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel, assisted him throughout this period, during which he found great solace in the gorgeous surroundings that encompassed him.  

It was at this period that Monet's Plein air works began to take shape, and this painting was displayed at the inaugural Impressionist exhibition in 1874. 

The Poppy Field near Argenteuil Analysis

The presence of a mother and kid in the forefront and another in the background of the countryside is only a premise for creating the painting's ambiance.

There are two distinct color zones, one driven by red and another by a bluish-green.

Camille, the artist's wife, and their son Jean are most likely the woman with the parasol and the kid next to the left of her; they function as a divider within the painting, almost as a horizontal line.

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Where is Monet's Poppy Field painting located?

The painting is at the Musée d'Orsay, which is a museum on the left bank of the Seine in Paris, France.

What is the concept behind Claude Monet's Poppies?

The landscape in this painting can be linked to the rural region in the Argenteuil area, where Monet and his family lived from 1871 to 1878.

The individuals depicted are Monet's family: his wife Camille, who is wearing a veil, and his son Jean, both are strolling across a thick brown grass field, while two additional people (presumably a lady and a child) are traveling in the distance.

The light is reflected by the field grass and the red poppies give the painting a calm and translucent feel. Just imagine a walk through a flowering field in a tranquil secluded countryside atmosphere.

The figures in the background appear to be middle-class individuals and the home in the background is more of a villa than a rustic cottage. Those two factors may imply that the poppy field is near a town, rather than in a remote corner of the countryside, as some critics suggest.

Monet wanted the audience's attention to be centered on the poppies. The hue of natural daylight is the major character in Monet's paintings. 

Like many other impressionist paintings, Poppy Field near Argenteuil depicts the present time through a sketch-like approach that lets the artist concentrate on the sensations coming from the environment around him, instead of concentrating on a fixed assigned subject.

This new technique of painting was innovative. And Monet's ability to capture the feeling of a scene was critical to the advancement of the impressionist movement. What we're seeing on the canvas is what our eyes would catch in a flash of a second.

Meaning of Monet's Poppies

The most well-known subject of Claude Monet's works is Poppies. The Poppy Field near Argenteuil, offers a gorgeous landscape that slopes down from left to right and involves Claude Monet's wife and kid.

His family adds a personal touch to the painting as well as provides additional subjects. Poppies were always going to be a favorite of Monet's for a variety of reasons.

They were plentiful in Giverny, where he lived and worked for years, and hence were featured prominently in many of his landscape paintings.

Poppies also provided a wonderful opportunity to use brilliant reds, which contrasted nicely with the artist's regular pallet of purples, greens, and blues which suited his impressionistic style.

Field of Poppies provides a landscape that is practically covered with red poppies, leaving no place for any other wildflowers. 

What is the meaning of a field of poppies?

Dreams, imagination, devotion, and luxury are all associated with the poppies. The poppy appears in Greek and Roman mythology on several occasions. And is associated with Morpheus, the Greek god of sleep and dreams.

Red poppies also represent eternal love, compassion, and sacrifice. In memorial tribute, they are laid on the graves of deceased soldiers.

In addition, they are linked to Christ's blood. Red poppies are also a symbol of success and great luck in Asian countries, and emotional intimacy.

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