---
title: "Roosters (1974) · JCC-009, Chico da Silva, painting"
description: "Roosters (1974) · JCC-009, Chico da Silva. Gouache on canvas, 50 x 70 cm. Painting in the João Cunha Collection."
canonical: https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/roosters-1974-009/
lang: en
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
translations:
  en: https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/roosters-1974-009/
  es: https://chicodasilva.org/es/pinturas/gallos-1974-009/
  fr: https://chicodasilva.org/fr/peintures/coqs-1974-009/
  pt: https://chicodasilva.org/pt/pinturas/galos-1974-009/
  ar: https://chicodasilva.org/ar/%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%83-1974-009/
  zh-Hans: https://chicodasilva.cn/%E4%BD%9C%E5%93%81/%E5%8F%8C%E9%B8%A1-1974-009/
---

# Roosters

![Two fantastical roosters facing each other against a black ground streaked with radiating colored lines. Roosters, Chico da Silva, 1974, gouache on canvas.](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-009/chico-da-silva-roosters-1974-gouache-on-canvas-50x70cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-009-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)

[Download image](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-009/chico-da-silva-roosters-1974-gouache-on-canvas-50x70cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-009-chicodasilva.org-3200.jpg)

Description for blind and low-vision visitors

A horizontal painting set against a near-black ground crossed by dense radiating lines in red, orange, yellow, blue and green that fan out like sunbursts and starbursts across the field. At center two large fantastical bird-roosters confront each other, their heads meeting in the upper middle. The bird on the left is built from warm reds, oranges and yellows, with a rounded body of red dots ringed in dark outlines and a tall crest. The bird on the right is built from cool blues, purples and greens, with a fanned plumed crest and a peacock-like tail spread to the upper right. Their bodies sweep downward into striped, curling tails and clawed feet near the lower center, where smaller white plumed forms and green starbursts cluster. The whole surface is patterned with fine parallel stripes, dots and concentric circles.

- **Artist:** [Chico da Silva](https://chicodasilva.org/en/biography/)
- **Year:** 1974
- **Technique:** Gouache on canvas
- **Support:** Canvas
- **Dimensions:** 50 x 70 cm
- **Motif:** [Roosters](https://chicodasilva.org/en/motifs/roosters/)
- **Collection:** [João Cunha Collection](https://chicodasilva.org/en/about/)
- **Signature:** FDZILVA, lower center (reversed S)
- **Photo:** Eric Keki
- **Inventory no.:** [JCC-009](https://chicodasilva.org/id/jcc-009)

## The signature

![Detail of the painted signature: «FDZILVA»](https://img.chicodasilva.org/signatures/chico-da-silva-signature-1974-jcc-009-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, “Roosters” (1974). Photo: Eric Keki, João Cunha Collection, CC BY 4.0. https://chicodasilva.org/id/jcc-009

The license covers the photograph, not the painting.

## For IIIF viewers

-   [IIIF manifest](https://chicodasilva.org/iiif/jcc-009/manifest.json)