In this painting, three hens and a rooster flock together at the edge of a pond. A bundle of straw, a broken clay jar and some mussel shells lie at the water’s edge. The light falls from the left and highlights the rooster’s breast. Mussels were the food of the poor. The shells, which contain calcium, were given to chickens as a supplementary source of nutrients. This paintings, however, conveys another message. Since ancient times, oysters have been known as an aphrodisiac; the rooster was a symbol of masculinity, the lust for power, and virility.
| Artist |
Aelbert Cuyp
RKD
|
|---|---|
| Title | Cock and Hens |
| Date | ca. 1650 |
| Period | 17th century |
| Collection | paintings AAT |
| Object type | oil paintings (visual works) AAT |
| Inventory number | 1909-WWW |
| Acquisition credit |
gift
The Friends of the Museum Ghent 1909 |
| Current whereabouts | Work on display |
| Permalink | https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1909-WWW |
| IIIF Manifest | https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/487/manifest.json |
| Art & Architecture Thesaurus |
300263554
animal paintings
AAT
300015636 landscapes AAT |
|---|---|
| Keywords Iconclass |
25F
animals
Iconclass
25F3 birds Iconclass 25H1 landscapes in the temperate zone Iconclass 26A clouds Iconclass 34B232 fowl (cock, hen, chicken, etc.) Iconclass |
| School / Style | Baroque AAT |
| Museum van Schoone Kunsten : Catalogus ; Oude Meesters, Schilderstukken, teekeningen, plaatsneden (met geschiedkundig overzicht) / Maurice Dupuis, Georges Charles Nicolas Marie Hulin de Loo, Fritz Van Loo. - Gent : Drukkerij F. De Vos, 1938 ; Gent : Stad Gent, 1938 (p. 46) |
| Albert Cuyp (Fonds Richard de Moor). - [s.l.] : [s.n.], [s.a.] |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent = Museum of Fine Arts Ghent / Claudie De Guillebon, Jacques Ostier, Robert Hoozee, Monique Tahon-Vanroose. - Parijs : Association des Amis de "Musées 2000", 1989 (p. 64 (ill. 133)) |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : Catalogus schilderkunst ; Deel I: 14de - 18de eeuw ; Deel II: 19de - 20ste eeuw / Robert Hoozee, Johan De Smet, Bruno Fornari, Ruth Monteyne. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2007 (dl. I, p. 78-79 (ill.)) |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : De collectie (tentoonstelling vanaf 21 maart 2021) / Johan De Smet, Bart Ooghe, Frederica Van Dam, Lieven Van Den Abeele, Cathérine Verleysen. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2021 |
| Musée des Beaux-Arts de Gand : La Collection (exposition dès le 21 mars 2021) / Johan De Smet, Bart Ooghe, Frederica Van Dam, Lieven Van Den Abeele, Cathérine Verleysen. - Gand : Musée des Beaux-Arts de Gand, 2021 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Ghent : The Collection (exhibition opened on March 21th 2021) / Johan De Smet, Bart Ooghe, Frederica Van Dam, Lieven Van Den Abeele, Cathérine Verleysen. - Ghent : Museum of Fine Arts Ghent, 2021 |
|
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