Artwork
A Sick Chicken
A Sick Chicken is a gouache drawing by the Impressionist artist Winslow Homer. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Winslow Homer’s 1874 work titled *A Sick Chicken* is executed on wove paper using watercolor, gouache, and graphite. The composition presents a domestic scene in which a woman in a long dress and white cap stands before a modest house, cradling a small bird while chickens forage at her feet. The interior doorway reveals a dimly lit space containing a table, jars, and a potted plant.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing captures a moment of everyday rural life, emphasizing the interaction between the figure and the surrounding animals. The woman’s gentle hold on the ailing bird suggests concern or care, while the surrounding chickens and the modest household items convey a sense of ordinary domestic routine in the post‑Civil War American countryside.
Technique & Style
Graphite outlines define forms without hard edges, and the transparent layers typical of watercolor build depth while preserving a spontaneous quality.
Homer employs a loose, sketch‑like application of watercolor and gouache, allowing pigments to blend softly and create atmospheric effects. Graphite outlines define forms without hard edges, and the transparent layers typical of watercolor build depth while preserving a spontaneous quality. This approach reflects the late‑19th‑century American preference for informal, observational depictions of daily life.
History & Provenance
Created in 1874, *A Sick Chicken* belongs to the period when Homer was transitioning from his early marine subjects to more intimate, genre scenes. The work is documented in the artist’s catalogue raisonné and has been held in private collections before entering a public museum collection, where it is displayed as an example of his early watercolor practice.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and illustrator, best known for his marine subjects.
