Who painted A Farm Boy with a Cock?

A Farm Boy with a Cock was painted by Unknown in 1650.

Where can I see A Farm Boy with a Cock?

A Farm Boy with a Cock is held by Statens Museum for Kunst.

Artwork

A Farm Boy with a Cock

A Farm Boy with a Cock is a photography by Unknown. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1650 by the anonymous artist catalogued as 609_person, this oil painting titled *A Farm Boy with a Cock* is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The composition centers on a young rural figure clutching a vividly colored rooster, set against an unadorned dark backdrop that emphasizes the subjects’ forms.

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts a countryside youth, dressed in a dark coat with a stiff white collar, holding a rooster whose bright red comb and white breast contrast sharply with the muted surroundings. The boy’s expression is solemn, suggesting a moment of responsibility or a rite of passage linked to farm life and animal husbandry.

Technique & Style

The artist employs strong chiaroscuro, using a single light source to model the figures in three dimensions. Highlights on the boy’s face and hands, as well as the glossy plumage of the bird, create a tactile sense of volume, while the dark, featureless background isolates the subjects and intensifies the visual drama.

History & Provenance

Attributed to the mid‑17th‑century period, the painting entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings through an acquisition whose details remain undocumented. Its anonymous authorship is recorded under the identifier 609_person, a placeholder used for works lacking a known creator.

Context

During the 1650s, genre scenes portraying everyday rural activities were common in Northern European art, reflecting social interest in agrarian life. The focus on a boy and a rooster aligns with contemporary symbolic associations of the rooster with vigilance and masculinity, reinforcing the painting’s thematic resonance.