The Poppy Field by Claude Monet (1873)

A fleeting visual impression of a breezy, summer’s day.

A simple subject: Monet’s wife, Camille, and their son, Jean, taking a casual walk; integrated in their environment.

This painting was exhibited at the first-ever Impressionist exhibition. He returned to France (from the UK) on the ending of the Franco-Prussian War:

Claude Monet painted The Poppy Field near Argenteuil in 1873 on his return from the United Kingdom (in 1871) when he settled in Argenteuil with his family until 1878. It was a time that provided the artist with great fulfillment as a painter, despite the failing health of Camille. Paul Durand-Ruel, Monet’s art dealer, helped support him during this time, where he found great comfort from the picturesque landscapes that surrounded him and provided him with plenty of subject matter from which to choose. It was a time that Monet’s Plein air works would develop, and this particular painting was shown at the first Impressionist exhibition of 1874. 

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The dabs of red paint were revolutionary for their time.

 The loose & sketchy field of poppies - step towards modern abstraction.