Ontwerp met papavers voor de rand van het wandtapijt Gezicht op de Ponte Vecchio te Florence 1925 - 1926

Carel Adolph Lion Cachet made this watercolour design for a tapestry border, featuring poppies, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The poppies feel so alive because of the way the artist has used watercolour: it's all about layering and letting the colours bleed into each other, so the shapes aren’t fixed or outlined. Looking closely, you can see how the red petals aren't just one colour, but a mix of pinks and purples, with these little flecks of deeper red suggesting a velvety texture. The dark background almost feels like cut paper, its solid areas offering a strong contrast to the translucent quality of the petals and stems. The way the poppies droop and sway gives the whole design a sense of movement. I'm reminded of the graphic style of someone like Édouard Benedictus, who also worked with bold blocks of colour and stylized natural forms. Ultimately, though, this poppy design stands alone, a reminder that art is always a conversation between artists and across time, where ideas are shared, transformed, and reinterpreted.