Fancy Bird
1953
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
color woodcut on wove paper
Dimensions
image: 9.5 x 17.6 cm (3 3/4 x 6 15/16 in.) sheet: 19.4 x 38.1 cm (7 5/8 x 15 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of the Avery Family, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Accession Number
1991.233.49
Art Historical Context
Milton Avery's *Fancy Bird* (1953) captures the artist's signature style of simplified forms and vibrant color harmonies in a delightful color woodcut print. A leading American modernist (1885–1965), Avery drew inspiration from Henri Matisse, blending bold, flattened shapes with subtle emotional depth. This intimate image, measuring just 9.5 x 17.6 cm, likely depicts a stylized bird amid abstract patterns, evoking whimsy and nature's elegance—hallmarks of Avery's late-career exploration of everyday motifs. Printed on wove paper, the work exemplifies color woodcut technique, where multiple woo...
About the Artist
Milton Avery
Milton Avery, born on March 7, 1885, in Altmar, New York, to a working-class family—his father a tanner—grew up in modest circumstances. After his family's move to the Hartford area of Connecticut in 1898, he took on various manual jobs, including as a mechanic, clerk, and construction worker, to support himself and relatives following family tragedies. His artistic path began around 1905 at the C...