Girl wearing the poppy wreath 1819

Orest Kiprensky painted this portrait of a girl with a poppy wreath sometime in the early 19th century, using oil on canvas. The texture of the canvas support comes through in the smooth, luminous skin of the sitter and the dark background, while the poppies and her white dress exhibit thicker, more visible brushstrokes. Kiprensky masterfully uses this common medium to convey a sense of delicate youthfulness. The poppy wreath is significant, echoing folk traditions of rural life and a sense of innocence. Consider the labor involved in creating the pigments, weaving the canvas, and then the skilled labor of Kiprensky himself. These materials, and the way they have been handled, reflect both the social status of the sitter and the artist’s own creative work. It is a reminder that all artworks, even seemingly straightforward portraits, are the product of considerable production.