Flowering Poppies

During his summer stay in Litzlberg on the Attersee, Klimt discovered a magnificent poppy-filled meadow which he captured in the painting "Flowering Poppies." In this work, a meadow rich with magnificent red poppies extends across almost the entire surface of the painting. There are narrow fruit trees in the foreground on the left and right, but their shapes merge so strongly with the meadow structure that their outlines are barely visible to the observer at first glance. The very top of the painting provides a view of the remaining landscape scenery and sky. For the painting style of this landscape excerpt, Klimt made use of a technique that is unmistakably reminiscent of French pointillism. During this time, French and Belgian pointillism paintings were also very popular in Vienna. Paintings by Théo van Rysselberghe had already been exhibited in 1899 in the Vienna Secession. These were followed by works by Paul Signac in 1900. And finally, several major works by Georges Seurat were shown in the great impressionism exhibition of the Vienna Secession in 1903. However, Klimt's pointillist dabs of color contributed less toward color synthesis following strict methodology. Instead, they serve more as a welcoming means of achieving an ornamental effect. For example, the large poppy and daisy blossoms in the foreground are still depicted in a highly naturalistic way. The dabs of color vary as the motifs move into the distance.