---
title: "Fantastic Bird (1973) · JCC-011, Chico da Silva, painting"
description: "Fantastic Bird (1973) · JCC-011, Chico da Silva. Acrylic on canvas, 70 x 50 cm. Painting in the João Cunha Collection."
canonical: https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/fantastic-bird-1973-011/
lang: en
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
translations:
  en: https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/fantastic-bird-1973-011/
  es: https://chicodasilva.org/es/pinturas/ave-fantastica-1973-011/
  fr: https://chicodasilva.org/fr/peintures/oiseau-fantastique-1973-011/
  pt: https://chicodasilva.org/pt/pinturas/ave-1973-011/
  ar: https://chicodasilva.org/ar/%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A-1973-011/
  zh-Hans: https://chicodasilva.cn/%E4%BD%9C%E5%93%81/%E5%A5%87%E5%B9%BB%E4%B9%8B%E9%B8%9F-1973-011/
---

# Fantastic Bird

![An arching long-necked fantastic bird on a cream ground with dense patterned body. Fantastic Bird, Chico da Silva, 1973, acrylic on canvas.](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-011/chico-da-silva-fantastic-bird-1973-acrylic-on-canvas-70x50cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-011-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)

[Download image](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-011/chico-da-silva-fantastic-bird-1973-acrylic-on-canvas-70x50cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-011-chicodasilva.org-3200.jpg)

Description for blind and low-vision visitors

A vertical painting on a warm cream background showing a fantastic bird whose long neck arches up and curves back down to a small turquoise beaked head at the right. The bird's large rounded body is a mosaic of red, green and grey patches packed with tiny figures, hearts and white speckling. Streaked tail feathers spill toward the lower right and the bird's dark legs and clawed feet descend at the lower left. Loose blue and reddish brushwork frames the figure, with the painted signature and date in the naive folk style.

- **Artist:** [Chico da Silva](https://chicodasilva.org/en/biography/)
- **Year:** 1973
- **Technique:** Acrylic on canvas
- **Support:** Canvas
- **Dimensions:** 70 x 50 cm
- **Motif:** [Birds](https://chicodasilva.org/en/motifs/birds/)
- **Collection:** [João Cunha Collection](https://chicodasilva.org/en/about/)
- **Signature:** FDZILVA, lower center (reversed S)
- **Photo:** Eric Keki
- **Inventory no.:** [JCC-011](https://chicodasilva.org/id/jcc-011)

## The signature

![Detail of the painted signature: «FDZILVA»](https://img.chicodasilva.org/signatures/chico-da-silva-signature-1973-jcc-011-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)

*The canvas is signed “FDZILVA”, at the center of the lower edge. The S is reversed, so it reads as the artist's usual signature, “F. D. Silva”. Beside it sits the painter's thumbprint.*

## How to credit

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

Chico da Silva, “Fantastic Bird” (1973). Photo: Eric Keki, João Cunha Collection, CC BY 4.0. https://chicodasilva.org/id/jcc-011

The license covers the photograph, not the painting.

## For IIIF viewers

-   [IIIF manifest](https://chicodasilva.org/iiif/jcc-011/manifest.json)