Zittende haan 1617 - 1681

Cornelis Saftleven etched this 'Sitting Rooster'. Here we find the familiar figure of the rooster, laden with cultural symbolism stretching back millennia. In ancient times, the rooster was associated with the sun, a symbol of vigilance and the dawn of a new day, banishing the darkness. Think of the Roman god Mithras, often depicted with a rooster, or its presence atop church steeples, a Christian symbol of faith and resurrection, ever watchful. Yet, the rooster is also tied to aggression and pride, a connection seen in its use as a symbol of national pride, like the Gallic rooster of France, a proud emblem, and the strutting cockfights that reveal a darker, more primal aspect. This tension between light and darkness, vigilance and aggression, imbues the image with a latent psychological power, engaging our subconscious awareness of nature's duality. The rooster has crowed through time, its meaning shaped by each culture, a testament to the enduring, cyclical nature of symbols.