Meadow with Poppies

Stretching across the canvas is a sun-warmed Hungarian meadow, dotted with bright red poppies that seem to scatter all the way to the gentle hills in the distance. Pál Szinyei Merse painted this scene in 1896, and if you look closely at the lower left, you can spot a tiny figure walking through the grass, giving you a sense of just how wide and open this field really is. White daisies and the occasional blue flower break up the green, adding little moments of variety as your eye wanders across the painting.

Szinyei Merse was something of a pioneer in Hungarian art. He loved painting light and color in the open air, much like the French Impressionists, though he developed his approach largely on his own. For years his bold style was misunderstood and even mocked by critics, which discouraged him from painting for a long stretch. Happily, he returned to his brushes later in life, and works like this one show why he is now remembered as one of Hungary's most beloved painters. There is nothing fussy here, just a simple joy in a summer field that anyone can feel.