Matilija Poppy by Mary Vaux Walcott Keika Hosegawa rectangles

rectangles

The composition frames a calm coastal vista using clean lines and bold

and quietly beautiful — reached its peak in the 18th and 19th centuries

Vertical stalks are rendered in varying densities of grey

Matilija Poppy by Mary Vaux Walcott Keika Hosegawa rectanglesThe Matilija Poppy is one of California's most dramatic wildflowers, and Mary Vaux Walcott captures it with the combination of scientific exactitude and painterly warmth that made her the foremost botanical illustrator of her era. Large, tissue thin petals float around a dense golden centre, rendered in watercolour with a lightness of touch that makes the bloom appear freshly picked. The composition is spare yet alive, the white background giving the