Deafening the Swallows' Twitter, Came a Thrill of Trumpets
1885
Medium
Black, gray and white gouache, over traces of graphite, on cream wove card
Dimensions
9.8 × 35.1 cm (3 7/8 × 13 7/8 in.)
Classification
drawings (visual works)
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
39877
Art Historical Context
Will Hicock Low's *Deafening the Swallows' Twitter, Came a Thrill of Trumpets* (1885) is a poetic evocation of sensory drama, blending nature's delicate bird calls with the triumphant blast of trumpets. This slender horizontal drawing, just 9.8 × 35.1 cm, invites viewers into an intimate, panoramic moment, likely capturing a landscape alive with contrast—gentle swallows silenced by bold fanfare. Crafted in black, gray, and white gouache over faint graphite traces on cream wove card, the work showcases Low's mastery of monochrome techniques. Gouache's opacity allowed for rich tonal depth and l...
About the Artist
Will Hicock Low · 1853–1932
Will Hicock Low (1853–1932) was an American painter and illustrator whose career bridged the Gilded Age and the early twentieth century, and who played an important role in bringing French academic ideals to American art. Born in Albany, New York, Low received his most formative training in Paris, where he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and in the atelier of Carolus-Duran, the celebrated Fren...