---
title: "Birds and Insect (2006), Chico da Silva by Babá, painting"
description: "Birds and Insect (2006), Chico da Silva by Babá. Acrylic on canvas, 74 x 109 cm. Painting in the João Cunha Collection."
canonical: https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/birds-and-insect-2006-041/
lang: en
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
translations:
  en: https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/birds-and-insect-2006-041/
  es: https://chicodasilva.org/es/pinturas/aves-e-insecto-2006-041/
  fr: https://chicodasilva.org/fr/peintures/oiseaux-et-insecte-2006-041/
  pt: https://chicodasilva.org/pt/pinturas/aves-e-inseto-2006-041/
  ar: https://chicodasilva.org/ar/%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%A9-2006-041/
  zh-Hans: https://chicodasilva.cn/%E4%BD%9C%E5%93%81/%E7%BE%A4%E9%B8%9F%E4%B8%8E%E6%98%86%E8%99%AB-2006-041/
---

# Birds and Insect

![An ornate peacock-like bird with a huge fan tail and two smaller birds against a red ground. Birds and Insect, Chico da Silva by Babá, 2006, acrylic on canvas.](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-041/chico-da-silva-by-baba-birds-and-insect-2006-acrylic-on-canvas-74x109cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-041-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)

[Download image](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-041/chico-da-silva-by-baba-birds-and-insect-2006-acrylic-on-canvas-74x109cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-041-chicodasilva.org-3200.jpg)

Description for blind and low-vision visitors

A horizontal painting set against a saturated red-orange ground. At center stands a large peacock-like bird facing right, its back covered in overlapping scalloped scales in blue, purple and rose, its wing rendered as rows of golden and green feathers. A tall feathery crest tops its small head, and it stands on long legs with splayed feet. To the left a very large plume-like fan of fine pale green and white fronds spreads outward like a giant feathered tail. At the right are two more crested birds: a small upright one perched mid-right and a flying one above it. Green foliage with slender leaves grows along the lower left and right. The whole image is built from delicate linear feather and leaf strokes over the red field.

- **Artist:** [Chico da Silva by Babá](https://chicodasilva.org/en/biography/)
- **Year:** 2006
- **Technique:** Acrylic on canvas
- **Support:** Canvas
- **Dimensions:** 74 x 109 cm
- **Motif:** [Birds](https://chicodasilva.org/en/motifs/birds/)[Insects](https://chicodasilva.org/en/motifs/insects/)
- **Collection:** [João Cunha Collection](https://chicodasilva.org/en/about/)
- **Signature:** CHICO DA SILVA / POR BABÁ, lower center
- **Photo:** Eric Keki
- **Inventory no.:** [JCC-041](https://chicodasilva.org/id/jcc-041)

## The signature

![Detail of the painted signature: «CHICO DA SILVA / POR BABÁ»](https://img.chicodasilva.org/signatures/baba-signature-2006-jcc-041-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)

*The canvas is signed “CHICO DA SILVA / POR BABÁ”, at the center of the lower edge.*

## Provenance

1.  The artist, Fortaleza, 2006
2.  Instituto Cultural Oboé, Fortaleza
3.  Leilão Montenegro, auction, 2025
4.  João Cunha Collection

## How to credit

[Photographs free to reuse, with credit (CC BY 4.0)](https://chicodasilva.org/en/about/#license)

Chico da Silva by Babá, “Birds and Insect” (2006). Photo: Eric Keki, João Cunha Collection, CC BY 4.0. https://chicodasilva.org/id/jcc-041

The license covers the photograph, not the painting.

## For IIIF viewers

-   [IIIF manifest](https://chicodasilva.org/iiif/jcc-041/manifest.json)