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Open 10:00–5:00

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Through September 5
Exhibitions & Events
America’s 250th

Celebrating American art and artists
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Silly Hen

1953

Milton Avery

Associated Names

Milton Avery

Artist, American, 1885 - 1965

The image consists of bold shapes and lines with an abstract figure standing out against a textured background. The figure resembles a rooster, featuring a rounded body, a fan-like tail, and a star-shaped crest on its head. The use of yellow and black creates a striking contrast, with the rooster-like form conveyed through simplified markings. The background includes irregular blotches and smudges, adding to the abstract quality of the artwork.

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Artwork overview

Medium

color woodcut on wove paper
Credit Line

Gift of the Avery Family, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Dimensions

image: 6.4 x 14.4 cm (2 1/2 x 5 11/16 in.)
sheet: 10.6 x 19.8 cm (4 3/16 x 7 13/16 in.)
Accession Number

1991.233.66
Catalogue Raisonné

Lunn 1973, no. 52, ii/ii

Artwork history & notes

Bibliography

1973

Lunn, Harry H., Jr. Milton Avery: Prints 1933-1955. Washington, D.C.: Graphics International Ltd., 1973, no. 52, ii/ii.

Inscriptions

lower left in graphite: Milton Avery 1953; lower right in graphite: a/p; by later hand, lower left verso in graphite: "Silly Hen"

Wikidata ID

Q75117375

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