Artwork
Roosting Birds
Roosting Birds is a watercolor work on paper by the American Impressionist artist Milton Avery. It dates from 1945 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Milton Avery’s 1945 watercolour, titled *Roosting Birds*, bears the artist’s signature and date. Executed in transparent pigments on paper, the work measures a modest size typical of Avery’s intimate compositions and reflects his mature period in the mid‑1940s.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts a cluster of birds settled on a smooth stone that rises from a restless sea. The avian figures, rendered chiefly in pale tones with darker wing accents, contrast with the muted pink‑gray icebergs drifting beneath the water’s surface, suggesting a quiet pause amid a cold, unsettled environment.
Technique & Style
Avery employs a restrained palette of cool hues, allowing soft, blended washes to convey the chill of the water and sky. The birds are treated with slightly sharper edges and brighter values, creating a focal point that lifts the composition’s overall serenity despite the underlying turbulence.
History & Provenance
Signed and dated by the artist, the watercolour entered Avery’s catalogue of works produced shortly after World War II. Documentation traces its ownership through private collections before it was acquired by a regional museum in the early 1990s, where it remains on display as part of the modern American painting collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Milton Clark Avery (; March 7, 1885 – January 3, 1965) was an American modern painter.
