Poppy
1780
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1780
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Poppy is a 1780 paint by Unknown, a Rococo painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a single poppy in full bloom. Its petals glow red against a plain dark background. Tiny details like the rough stem and soft edges make it feel real. It comes from a set of 24 floral paintings. Each one was labeled with its Chinese name. British plant hunters brought these images home after trips east. This kind of careful plant study was new to Britain then. Look next at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
A rectangular watercolour painting from around 1780 depicts two poppy plants with pink flower heads and long, narrow green leaves, set against a plain background that suggests a cliff edge. Part of a set of 24 works, each piece is inscribed with the Chinese name of the depicted plant. The series reflects 18th-century British interest in unfamiliar flora, often brought back by travellers as paintings rather than live specimens. Acquired from E. Parsons, it was accessioned in 1889 as part of the Asia Department’s holdings.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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