Cypress and Poppies

Elihu Vedder

ca. 1880–90 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

Although he is best known for his visionary and mystical works, Vedder developed a lifelong interest in painting the Italian countryside during the 1860s while living in Florence. There, Vedder associated with a group of Italian landscape artists known as the Macchiaioli. These painters eschewed academic practice and drew inspiration directly from nature; they painted out-of-doors, where they could concentrate on the effects of light. Probably painted in Rome in the 1880s, Cypress and Poppies reflects the enduring influence of the Macchiaioli landscapes on Vedder, with its soft atmosphere and splashes of bright color.

Artist

Elihu Vedder

Date

ca. 1880–90

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Iola Stetson Haverstick, 1982