Hen with chicken 

This captivating oil painting, Hen with chicken, was painted by Niko Pirosmani sometime before his death in 1918. Pirosmani, a self-taught Georgian painter, lived a life marked by poverty and social marginalization, and this shaped his artistic vision. Pirosmani often depicted scenes from rural life and the everyday experiences of ordinary people. In this painting the scene is both familiar and dreamlike, the figures rendered with a directness that conveys a deep emotional resonance. His paintings often evoke a sense of nostalgia for a disappearing way of life. The animals are not mere subjects, they are imbued with a sense of dignity and presence which speaks to Pirosmani’s deep empathy for the natural world. Pirosmani’s work can be seen as a form of social commentary, offering a glimpse into the lives and struggles of those often overlooked by society. His work encourages us to reflect on our own relationship to the land, and the human cost of progress.