Source for this image here.
This famous painting was painted in 1886 by the artist Claude Monet. It's called Poppy Field In Argenteuil.
Today we went for another drive in the countryside - and fetched up at the same market town where we went a couple of weeks ago. The weather was just perfect - and as we drove along, the waving cornfields with their seas of gold edged with scarlet poppies minded me of this painting. We had a beautiful day out - and it isn't over yet! We have a family event to attend this evening, so today, for the first time in so long I can't remember, we shall have eaten out twice in one day! I feel as if I am taking a vacation!
Here is a poem that I found which I think expresses beautifully the golden loveliness of the scenery that we passed as we drove through the gorgeous summer countryside ...
When, in the cornfield, yellow waves are rising,
The wood is rustling at the sound of soft wind,
And, in the garden, crimson plums are hiding
In pleasant shade of leaves, so shining ones and green;
When, spilled with fragrant dew in calmness of the alley,
In morning of a gold or evening of a red,
Under the bush, the lily of a valley,
Is gladly nodding me with silver of her head;
When the icy brook in the ravine is playing,
And, sinking thoughts in somewhat misty dreams,
In bubbling tones secretly tale-telling
Of those peaceful lands from which it gaily streams
The wood is rustling at the sound of soft wind,
And, in the garden, crimson plums are hiding
In pleasant shade of leaves, so shining ones and green;
When, spilled with fragrant dew in calmness of the alley,
In morning of a gold or evening of a red,
Under the bush, the lily of a valley,
Is gladly nodding me with silver of her head;
When the icy brook in the ravine is playing,
And, sinking thoughts in somewhat misty dreams,
In bubbling tones secretly tale-telling
Of those peaceful lands from which it gaily streams
Then wrinkles are smoothing on my knitted brow,
My heart is losing troubles and distress
And I can apprehend the happiness on earth,
And see Almighty in the heavens now...
(Mikhail Lermontov, 1837).
