Upright Poppies and Various Flowers
- Artist: Ivon Hitchens
- Date: 1970 - 1972
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the “Upright Poppies and Various Flowers” by Ivon Hitchens, created between 1970 and 1972. The canvas bursts with a riot of color that feels almost like a snapshot from a bright, sun‑lit garden. Hitchens used oil, which gives the petals that buttery, slightly translucent quality—especially the vivid reds of the poppies that dominate the left side of the canvas.
What’s striking is how he balances the composition. The upright poppies stand tall, their stems pointing almost like a deliberate framing device, while the other flowers—daisies, roses, and a few wild blossoms—scatter around them, giving a sense of movement. The background is a muted, almost watercolor wash of greens and blues, which keeps the focus firmly on the flowers themselves.
The brushwork is loose yet intentional. You can see quick, energetic strokes that let the individual blooms pop off the surface. Hitchens often favored this technique to convey the fleeting nature of a garden scene—capturing the light, the color, and the brief moment before the flowers fade.
Overall, the painting feels both celebratory and tender, a gentle reminder of nature’s transient beauty captured in oil on canvas.
See it in person
Upright Poppies and Various Flowers hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
