Isaac Grünewald found a response to his intense longing for colour in the hues of flowers, particularly those of the blood-red amaryllis. To him, flowers were not merely living beings with emotional responses and distinct characters; they were colour itself brought to life. Nothing elicited his joy in painting as directly as flowers. Flower painting did not enjoy the same esteem as figure compositions among contemporary critics, something that scarcely concerned Grünewald. He was criticised for his overly bold experimentation with colour. In 1915, newly returned from France and Germany, he exhibited flowers exclusively at Gummesons Konstgalleri, an exhibition that was greatly appreciated by the public. In his book on the artist, J. P. Hodin (Stockholm, 1949) writes: “Grünewald’s oeuvre could be imagined without many of his figure compositions, but not without his flower paintings.”