Giran- Max was an Impressionist painter born near Paris in 1867. He exhibited at the Société Nationale and at the Salon des Indépendants and was awarded the Legion of Honour for his contribution to the Arts. He also was one of the founders and the treasurer of the Salon d’Automne. Both Cézanne and Pissarro painted at Pontoise and it is likely that the present painting was influenced by the work of the latter. Poppyfields were a favourite subject of many of the Impressionists and, in particular of Monet. A major exhibition of the artist’s landscapes of Pontoise, Nice, and Spain was held at the Galerie Le Barc de Boutteville, Paris in the spring of 1898

Bibliography: Gérald Schurr, 1820-1920, Les Petits Maîtres de la Peinture, Valeur de Demain. Published by Les Editions de l’Amateur. Volume 1, p.55