Oil and Poppies
2019-2020
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
ink and gouache on paper
Dimensions
sheet: 248.92 × 129.54 cm (98 × 51 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund and Anonymous Gift of Funds
Accession Number
2025.40.1
Art Historical Context
Shahzia Sikander's *Oil and Poppies*2019–2020) is a monumental drawing in ink and gouache on paper measuring nearly 98 by 51 inches. Acquired by the National Gallery of Art the Ailsa Mellon Fund and anonymous gifts, this work exemplifies Sikander's mastery of traditional South Asian miniature painting techniques—delicate layering of ink lines and luminous gouache—scaled up to dramatic proportions. What might begin as an intimate, jewel-like process expands into a vast canvas, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in intricate details that reward close inspection. Sikander, a Pakistani-Americ...