宋 Sung dynasty
軸 紙本設色 Hanging scroll, ink and colors on paper
41.9cm (H) x 33cm (W)
本幅畫一隻母雞引領五隻幼雛漫步啄食。母雞雪白的羽毛蓬鬆亮麗，目光充滿慈愛，小雞依偎在母親的羽翼下，顯得稚嫩怯弱。畫面的背景全部以墨塗黑，使得主題格外突出。子母雞除寓含五子登科之意，還表現母雞帶着雛雞四處覓食、其樂融融的田園生活。畫家對於物象的觀察細膩入微，寫生意味濃厚，雖幅中無作者款印，推斷應出自院畫名手。
This painting depicts a hen with five chicks searching for food on the ground. The fluffy beautiful feathers of the hen are snow-white in color, and she shows the watchful eye of maternal affection. The chicks stick close to their protective mother and exhibit the qualities of tenderness and frailty. The background is completely filled with pitch-black ink, making the chickens stand out even more clearly. The hen-and-chicks subject not only alludes to the expression “may your five sons succeed in the civil service examination”, but also portrays the simple joy of rustic life – a hen taking her chicks out to look for food. The artist here pays great attention to observing and portraying forms, and the notion of “sketching from life” is quite evident. Although this painting bears neither seal nor signature of the artist, it probably comes from an academy master at the court.
