A Sick Chicken

"A Sick Chicken" by Winslow Homer, executed in 1874, is a sensitive study utilizing watercolor, gouache, and graphite on wove paper. This classification as a drawing highlights Homer’s technical experimentation with mixed media during the early 1870s, a crucial period when the American artist began exploring the expressive potential of transparent and opaque pigments on paper.

The piece exemplifies Homer’s persistent interest in depicting humble subjects and animals with observational precision. Though the subject is minor, Homer uses light and shadow effectively to imbue the fragile creature with pathos. The delicate application of watercolor, enhanced by the opaque quality of the gouache used for highlights and specific textures, creates a realistic, if subdued, portrayal of the fowl’s condition. Dating precisely to the period 1851 to 1875, this work belongs to Homer’s mature output following the Civil War, when he increasingly focused on intimate rural genre scenes rather than grand historical narratives.

As a significant piece of American art history, the drawing demonstrates Homer’s shift toward the introspective, quieter artistic style that would characterize much of his later career. Unlike the large oil paintings he sometimes produced, this drawing demonstrates a more private side of the artist’s output and practice. The faint visibility of the graphite lines underneath the paint reveals the careful preparatory work Homer undertook for even small, observational studies like this one. Today, this important piece is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it continues to serve as a vital reference point for scholars studying 19th-century watercolor technique. Due to its historical significance and status within the museum's holdings, high-quality prints of this work are frequently sought after, benefiting from its inclusion in the public domain.