What the painting shows

Orchard by Klimt fills the canvas with a tall meadow of grass and wildflowers. Small flecks of blue, red, and yellow paint scatter across the green foreground. Bright red poppies cluster toward the lower left and center, balanced by points of blue and yellow across the lawn. Klimt applies the paint in tiny daubs and stippled marks, giving the field an even, patterned texture.

Beyond the flower meadow, a horizontal row of young fruit trees stretches across the middle ground. Their thin trunks rise from the grass into round crowns of green and gold leaves. Behind them, rolling green hills and clusters of mature trees climb upward, leaving only a thin band of pale, cloudy sky along the upper edge. You can explore more of his outdoor scenes in landscapes and flowers and gardens.

The story behind it

Gustav Klimt painted Orchard around 1905, using oil and tempera on canvas. The work is also known by the titles Blooming Field and Blühendes Feld. The square format measures 98.7 by 99.4 centimeters, creating a nearly balanced frame that flattens perspective and pulls your eye across the surface of the meadow.

Where to see it

You can see Orchard at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The museum holds the original painting in its permanent collection.