Peony 2020

Allison Reimold created this untitled image of a girl surrounded by flowers sometime in the 20th century. The image is arresting because of its formal play with color and composition. What does it mean to put a grey figure of a girl on a stark white background? Reimold brings her into focus by framing her with bright red flowers, which are set off by green stems and leaves. Looking at this picture, I can imagine Reimold thinking about how the different shades of red would interact with the black and white image of the girl. She is in conversation with botanical artists as well as fashion illustrators. She thinks of the red peonies as a kind of crown or headpiece. The question of how art history speaks to our present moment remains open. I can see Reimold’s work in relation to other paintings from the 20th and 21st century, and the conversations between different generations of artists.