Untitled (Vase With Iris And Poppies) c. 1924

Katharine Schlater made this mysterious, monochromatic print of irises and poppies in a vase, but we don't know exactly when. Looking at this, I'm picturing Schlater working away, maybe in a small studio filled with the scent of flowers. It’s like she’s wrestling with the image, trying to pin down the essence of these blooms with her tools. The stark contrast in the print—the blacks and whites—almost gives it a haunted quality, don’t you think? It reminds me of Odilon Redon's charcoal drawings with their dreamlike, symbolic undertones. Look at how she renders each petal with such intention. You can almost feel the velvety texture of the poppies and the delicate structure of the irises. It's a conversation between the artist, the flowers, and the medium itself. It makes me think about all the artists out there, each one riffing off the others, adding their own touch, their own voice, to the ongoing song of art.