The Eclipse of the Sunflower
Watercolour
1945 (made)
1945 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Paul Nash often incorporated a sense of mysticism into his painting. Although his starting point might be a natural object or an aspect of the landscape, he developed the symbolic imagery of his subject almost to abstraction. This watercolour, a version of an oil painting of the same title, is one of a series inspired by a poem by William Blake which begins:
Ah, Sunflower! Weary of Time
That countest the steps of the Sun;
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller's journey is done…
The poem explores the relationship between the summer sun and the flower that turns to follow it, and later compares the Sun to an ideal object of human desire. Nash here uses the black centre of the flower, a mass of dark seeds, to represent the Sun's eclipse.
Ah, Sunflower! Weary of Time
That countest the steps of the Sun;
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller's journey is done…
The poem explores the relationship between the summer sun and the flower that turns to follow it, and later compares the Sun to an ideal object of human desire. Nash here uses the black centre of the flower, a mass of dark seeds, to represent the Sun's eclipse.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Eclipse of the Sunflower (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Watercolour |
| Brief description | 'Eclipse of the Sunflower'. Watercolour by Paul Nash, 1945. |
| Physical description | Watercolour showing an eclipse of the Sun. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Paul Nash 1889-1946
Eclipse of the Sunflower
1945
This is one of a serie of paintings inspired by William Blake's poem 'Ah, Sunflower'. The poem explores the relationship between the summer sun and the flower that turns to follow it. Nash uses the black centre of the flower to represent the sun's eclipse.
Watercolour and pencil on paper
Bequeathed by the artist's widow, Margaret Nash, 1962
Museum no. P.19-1962 |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Mrs Margaret Nash, widow of the artist |
| Object history | This watercolour, a version of an oil of the same title is one of a series of paintings in which the artist developed the symbolism of the sunflower and sun based on a poem by William Blake. This water-colour was on loan to the Museum from 1960. There is an oil painting by Nash of this subject in the collection of the British Council. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Literary reference | William Blake <i>Ah Sunflower...</i> |
| Summary | Paul Nash often incorporated a sense of mysticism into his painting. Although his starting point might be a natural object or an aspect of the landscape, he developed the symbolic imagery of his subject almost to abstraction. This watercolour, a version of an oil painting of the same title, is one of a series inspired by a poem by William Blake which begins: Ah, Sunflower! Weary of Time That countest the steps of the Sun; Seeking after that sweet golden clime Where the traveller's journey is done… The poem explores the relationship between the summer sun and the flower that turns to follow it, and later compares the Sun to an ideal object of human desire. Nash here uses the black centre of the flower, a mass of dark seeds, to represent the Sun's eclipse. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | P.19-1962 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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