William Hawkins produced large-scale works of great graphic intensity. His vigorous, expressionistic style, mastery of formal elements, and intriguing subject matter—drawn from images in his archive of magazines, books, and newspapers—have earned him recognition as one of the most important and original self-taught American artists of the twentieth century. Here, Hawkins placed a found photograph of a nesting bird between his ferocious main subjects, juxtaposing fragility and violence.