Rooster
Unknown Artist
c. 1620
Medium
Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Dimensions
37.3 × 25.4 cm · image: 18.3 × 12.1 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Herbert F. Leisy
Accession Number
1944.501
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This bird, with its fierce expression, sharp beak, and spurred feet, may have been a champion in the cockfighting ring. The Mughal emperor Jahangir requested that his royal court artists paint portraits of remarkable birds and animals with as much realism as possible. He felt that such paintings enhanced feelings of amazement beyond hearing or reading an account.