Field with Poppies

When he was allowed to leave the grounds of the institution at the beginning of June, Field with Poppies was one of the first motifs he decided to paint. From a slightly elevated vantage point, he depicts the view over the valley with grain fields: It is a tapestry of impastoed colors dominated by the contrasting effect of the complementary colors of red and green. The swirls of color lend the canvas dynamism, whereas the lines of perspective draw the viewer’s gaze into the distance. When Gustav Pauli acquired Field with Poppies for 30,000 marks, thus continuing with his progressive purchasing policy, he sparked an art scandal that has since become famous.