Chicks and Ducks (1891) by Farquhar McGillivray Knowles is a charming and finely rendered oil on canvas that reflects the artist’s technical skill and sensitivity to rural life in late 19th-century Canada. Measuring 13 x 20 inches and signed and dated in the lower left corner, the work depicts a bucolic barnyard scene featuring a lively group of young chicks and ducks gathered near a rustic outbuilding. Knowles’ attention to detail is evident in the delicate feathers, mottled shadows, and soft light filtering across the animals and their straw-littered surroundings.

Farquhar McGillivray Knowles (1859–1932) was a prominent Canadian painter known for his marine and landscape subjects, but his genre scenes—such as Chicks and Ducks—offer a rare and tender glimpse into the domestic and agrarian aspects of early Canadian life. His formal training at prestigious European institutions, including the Académie Julian in Paris and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, combined with mentorship under American painter Thomas Eakins, lent his work a balance of realism and atmospheric subtlety. These influences are evident in the painting’s tight but expressive brushwork and naturalistic palette, which bring warmth and vitality to a modest rural subject.

Chicks and Ducks situates Knowles within the rich tradition of Canadian genre painting, which focused on scenes of everyday rural and domestic life. While often quieter in tone than grand landscapes or historical subjects, works like this offer invaluable insight into the lived experience of Canadians in the late 19th century. Through its warm, intimate portrayal of barnyard animals, the painting reflects the simplicity, rhythm, and charm of country life, making it an important contribution to the broader story of Canadian art.