Artwork
Hen with Chicken
Hen with Chicken is an oil painting by the Realist artist Charles Verlat. It dates from 1856 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
About this work
Overview
Hen with Chicken is an 1856 oil painting by Belgian artist Charles Verlat, portraying a hen and her chicks in a rustic environment with meticulous detail, characteristic of the Realist style.
Subject & Meaning
The painting focuses on the intimate, everyday moment of a mother hen surrounded by her chicks, pecking at the ground near hay and a brick wall, conveying warmth and domesticity.
Technique & Style
Verlat employs soft, muted tones for the hen's feathers and utilizes chiaroscuro, effectively leveraging light and shadow to create depth, texture, and a sense of quiet intimacy.
History & Provenance
Created in 1856, the work is part of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp's collection. Verlat, a prolific artist and educator, later directed the Antwerp Academy, which briefly hosted Vincent van Gogh as a student in 1886.
Context
This piece reflects Verlat's diverse practice, which spanned animal subjects, portraits, genre scenes, Orientalist themes, and religious compositions, aligning with the broad interests of a 19th-century academic artist.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Verlat or Karel Verlat (25 November 1824 – 23 October 1890) was a Belgian painter, watercolorist, engraver (printmaker), art educator and director of the Antwerp Academy.
