Artwork
Birds fighting
Birds fighting is an oil painting. It dates from 1655 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a violent confrontation between two roosters set against a rural backdrop, with a hen and a turkey also present.
The painting depicts a violent confrontation between two roosters set against a rural backdrop, with a hen and a turkey also present. The scene emphasizes aggression and competition within a barnyard hierarchy, a motif commonly associated with animal combat in seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish art.
The subject aligns with the broader genre of animal painting that flourished in the Southern Netherlands during the mid-seventeenth century, where such depictions often carried moralizing undertones about human behavior through the metaphor of animal conflict.
Technique & Style
Birds fighting is an oil painting on canvas produced in 1655 in the Southern Netherlands. Measuring 127 cm by 158 cm, it portrays a cockfight with roosters and a hen, characteristic of seventeenth-century Netherlandish animal art. The work is housed in the Rijksmuseum, the national gallery of the Netherlands, reflecting its recognized status within Dutch Golden Age collections.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Birds fighting was created in 1655 in the Southern Netherlands. Executed in oil paint on canvas, the work is attributed to an anonymous artist and depicts a cockfight featuring roosters and hens within a rural setting. The dimensions are 127 cm in height and 158 cm in width.
It is held by the Rijksmuseum and classified within the genre of animal art. No specific commission details or earlier ownership records are provided in the available documentation.
Overview
The oil painting titled "Birds fighting" captures a dynamic confrontation between two birds. Rendered with dramatic intensity, the work showcases the creatures mid-flight, poised for attack amidst a rural setting. The artist's distinctive approach to light and texture is evident, employing strong contrasts and built-up paint to enhance the scene's vividness and depth, making it a compelling study of natural conflict.
Artist & collection
