Studie van twee liggende kippen 1865 - 1878

Jules Laurens created this lithograph of resting chickens, capturing them in a tender and intimate study. Chickens, seemingly simple creatures, are potent symbols across cultures. In ancient Rome, they were associated with Mars, the god of war, and their behavior was used to predict military outcomes. Fast forward to medieval times, the cock, a male chicken, becomes a symbol of vigilance and resurrection, perched atop church steeples, warding off evil. Consider the inherent emotional duality: the protection implied by the rooster with the vulnerability of the hen. This polarity evokes a complex set of emotions and memories that resonate on a subconscious level, reminding us of the cyclical nature of life, protection, and vulnerability. From Roman augury to Christian symbolism, the humble chicken traverses time, its image imbued with layers of meaning, continually resurrected in our collective consciousness.