Three Poppies, Two Butterflies and a Dragonfly

Three poppies grow from one leafy base at the center of a pale sheet: an open red-orange flower with a dark center, a large ruffled cream-and-brown double bloom with a dark red petal, and a seed head losing its last petals. Around them float a mauve flower head, a small pink blossom, two butterflies with red spots, a dragonfly with clear veined wings and a small fly. Fine engraved lines show through the soft color.

The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, which holds this print, records its maker as anonymous and dates it 1688–1698. It is an engraving printed in colors à la poupée and colored by hand, and the museum notes that it forms part of an album. Its Dutch title is Drie papavers, twee vlinders, een vlieg en een libelle: three poppies, two butterflies, a fly and a dragonfly.

Lab-printed to order on luster photo paper, in a tall 2:3 format: 8×12, 12×18, 16×24, 20×30, 24×36 and 40×60 inches. Its tall, light shape suits a hallway, a bedroom or a narrow wall.