The White Hen and Fantasy Creatures (double-sided)

A luminous double-sided work on paper, this 1947 piece by Milton Avery showcases his signature approach of flattened forms and bold, simplified shapes rendered in gouache and watercolor. On one side, a white hen emerges from fields of soft, muted color, while the reverse presents a world of fantastical creatures rendered with Avery's characteristic wit and economy of line. The work exemplifies his ability to balance playful subject matter with a sophisticated modernist sensibility, drawing on the expressive potential of watercolor's translucency alongside the opacity of gouache.