In 1922 Joseph Stella revisited his native Italy and became fascinated by Renaissance painting. After returning to New York, he began to produce detailed, symbolic compositions such as A Vision, which was originally a mural commission. Stella was enthralled by the tropical plants he observed at the Bronx Botanical Garden, and here he imagined a woman growing out of the earth like the exotic flowers on either side of her. This painting’s fantastical subject also aligns it with modern art, particularly the dreamlike imagery of Surrealism.