◇ Study of Poppies

This striking print captures the vivid drama of blooming red poppies set against dense green foliage and a deep black ground. The bold interplay of color and form gives the flowers an almost sculptural presence, each petal outlined with sharp definition. The composition feels both decorative and dynamic, a study in how a simple motif can carry intensity and elegance.

Why We Picked It
The strength of this piece lies in its crisp linear design and masterful color contrasts. Red blossoms anchor the eye immediately, while the surrounding foliage provides a dense, textured counterpoint. The flattened planes and decisive outlines reflect a deliberate move toward stylization, transforming a familiar botanical subject into a striking work of visual design.

Notable Context
The stylized poppy motif resonates with early 20th-century artistic currents that blurred the line between fine and applied arts. This was a period when artists across Europe and the British Commonwealth embraced bold simplification, decorative patterning, and the revival of natural motifs. The poppy itself carries symbolic resonance, tied to both classical myth and modern memory—associated with beauty, fragility, and the cycles of life and death. The graphic clarity of this design places it in dialogue with the wider Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau traditions, while also anticipating the bold color-blocked aesthetics of later modern printmaking.

About the Artist
Francis Shurrock was a British-born sculptor, printmaker, and educator who spent much of his career in New Zealand. Trained at the Royal College of Art in London, Shurrock was influenced by the Arts and Crafts ethos and brought this sensibility into both his sculptural and graphic work. His prints reveal a keen interest in simplified form, strong contour, and decorative design rooted in natural observation. Beyond his artistic output, Shurrock played a pivotal role in art education in New Zealand, helping to shape mid-20th-century artistic culture in the region.