---
title: "Roosters (1973), Chico da Silva, painting"
description: "Roosters (1973), Chico da Silva. Acrylic on canvas, 47 x 66 cm. Painting in the João Cunha Collection."
canonical: https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/roosters-1973-010/
lang: en
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
translations:
  en: https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/roosters-1973-010/
  es: https://chicodasilva.org/es/pinturas/gallos-1973-010/
  fr: https://chicodasilva.org/fr/peintures/coqs-1973-010/
  pt: https://chicodasilva.org/pt/pinturas/galos-1973-010/
  ar: https://chicodasilva.org/ar/%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%83-1973-010/
  zh-Hans: https://chicodasilva.cn/%E4%BD%9C%E5%93%81/%E5%8F%8C%E9%B8%A1-1973-010/
---

# Roosters

![Two roosters in a cockfight with broad fanned multicolored plumage on a black ground. Roosters, Chico da Silva, 1973, acrylic on canvas.](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-010/chico-da-silva-roosters-1973-acrylic-on-canvas-47x66cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-010-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)

[Download image](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-010/chico-da-silva-roosters-1973-acrylic-on-canvas-47x66cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-010-chicodasilva.org-3200.jpg)

Description for blind and low-vision visitors

Two roosters confront each other in a cockfight at the center of a black background, crests and tails opening into wide fans of feathers. The plumage is rendered in rows of scallops and curved strokes in turquoise, green, yellow, red, blue and pink, with bold round eye markings on each head. Spiky green palm-like fronds spray outward behind the birds, covering the corners of the composition. In this naive decorative style the entire surface is filled with fine repeated linework; a white date and the stylized signature 'F.D.SILVA' sit at the lower right.

- **Artist:** [Chico da Silva](https://chicodasilva.org/en/biography/)
- **Year:** 1973
- **Technique:** Acrylic on canvas
- **Support:** Canvas
- **Dimensions:** 47 x 66 cm
- **Motif:** [Roosters](https://chicodasilva.org/en/motifs/roosters/)
- **Collection:** [João Cunha Collection](https://chicodasilva.org/en/about/)
- **Signature:** FDZILVA, lower right (reversed S)
- **Photo:** Eric Keki
- **Inventory no.:** [JCC-010](https://chicodasilva.org/id/jcc-010)

## The signature

![Detail of the painted signature: «FDZILVA»](https://img.chicodasilva.org/signatures/chico-da-silva-signature-1973-jcc-010-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)

*The canvas is signed “FDZILVA”, in the lower right corner. 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, “Roosters” (1973). Photo: Eric Keki, João Cunha Collection, CC BY 4.0. https://chicodasilva.org/id/jcc-010

The license covers the photograph, not the painting.

## For IIIF viewers

-   [IIIF manifest](https://chicodasilva.org/iiif/jcc-010/manifest.json)