“Stop and let the vibrant energy of this buttercup field wash over you. The painting's rich texture and luminous yellow hues capture the joyful essence of a summer day, inviting a moment of peaceful contemplation.”
A vibrant burst of yellow dominates this canvas, depicting a dense field of buttercups under a bright sky. The flowers are rendered with a lively, almost tactile quality, their petals catching the light and creating a sense of movement across the surface. Michele Elizabeth Field painted this piece in 2005, using acrylics to build up the rich texture and varied tones within the seemingly uniform yellow. The composition draws the eye deep into the field, suggesting an endless expanse of blooms. Unlike some of her earlier, more figurative works, this painting focuses entirely on the natural world, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the simple beauty of a summer meadow. The overall effect is one of quiet joy and the fleeting perfection of nature.
- Artist
- Michele Elizabeth Field
- Date
- 2005
- Medium
- Acrylic on canvas
- Location
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The way individual petals are suggested through dabs of paint
How the light seems to shimmer across the top of the flowers
The subtle variations in yellow that give the field depth
The blurred background suggesting a distant horizon
Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Buttercups — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Michele Elizabeth Field
1953–2014Michele Elizabeth Field was a painter whose later work, like 'Back on Earth,' explored themes on two canvases.
Further Works by Field
Foxgloves
2004 · Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Thistles
2004 · Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
White Lilies
2004 · Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Daisies
2005 · Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Irises
2004 · Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Anemones
2006 · Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Poppies
2006 · Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Tulips
2006 · Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
More works to explore
Beyond Field: works from the same years.
Same era · 1990s–2020s
Kiki (Smith)
Chuck Close · 2000 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1990s–2020s
Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)
Félix González-Torres · 1991
Same era · 1990s–2020s
Near the Lagoon
Jasper Johns · 2002 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1990s–2020s
Oonagh MacCumhail: The Case of the Entered Novitiate
Matthew Barney · 2002 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1990s–2020s
American Horizon
Jane Wooster Scott · 2000 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1990s–2020s
A Torso / Toxic Drawing
Romero Britto · 2011 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1990s–2020s
Wu Street
Xu Bing · 1993 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1990s–2020s
Cremaster 2: Deseret
Birgit Cullberg · 1999 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1990s–2020s
It's a New Age
William Hook · 1992 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1990s–2020s
Blood Pool
Kiki Smith · 1992 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1990s–2020s
Alchemy of Pain
Matthew Monahan · 2006 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1990s–2020s
Urns (Set of 8)
Thomas Schütte · 1999 · Art Institute of Chicago
