“Stop to appreciate the vibrant energy of these poppies. This painting captures the fleeting beauty of a natural scene with expressive brushwork and a lively color palette.”
A vibrant field of red poppies bursts forth in this painting, their delicate petals rendered with a sense of spontaneity and life. The composition draws the eye across the canvas, suggesting a gentle breeze that animates the flowers. Notice how the bright red forms contrast with the softer greens and hints of blue in the background, creating a sense of depth and atmospheric perspective. This work, created in 2006 by Michele Elizabeth Field, evokes the fleeting beauty of nature, capturing a moment of natural abundance. It offers a calm, restorative view, perhaps intended to bring a touch of the outdoors into an interior space.
- Artist
- Michele Elizabeth Field
- Date
- 2006
- Location
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The varying shades of red within the poppy petals.
The loose, expressive brushstrokes that suggest movement.
How the green and blue background recedes, making the poppies pop.
The sense of light filtering through the field.
Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Poppies — 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
Buttercups
2005 · 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
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
A Torso / Toxic Drawing
Romero Britto · 2011 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1990s–2020s
American Horizon
Jane Wooster Scott · 2000 · 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
