Least Water-hen

Robert Havell after John James Audubon

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of two birds near a water body surrounded by reeds. The painting features a least water hen and a chick walking along the edge of a small waterway. The adult bird has dark brown plumage with white speckles, and the chick has a darker, more uniform color. Both birds have yellow legs. In the background, tall green reeds sway, and a distant horizon is painted with clouds under a blue sky. This creates a serene scene resembling a marshy habitat. The style is similar to John James Audubon.