The Cock and the Jewel 1912

Arthur Rackham created this line drawing titled "The Cock and the Jewel". The scene's composition is divided by contrasting tones and textures which lead the eye across the work. Look at how Rackham uses the stark black of the rooster’s lower body to anchor the foreground, contrasting sharply with the light, almost ethereal quality of the background landscape. Notice how the detailed rendering of the rooster's feathers and the ground texture differ from the bare, simplified trees. This contrast is not just visual; it suggests a deeper symbolic structure. The jewel itself, small and easily overlooked, lies almost as a semiotic marker – a signifier of value judged differently by the rooster and, presumably, by us. Rackham, through these formal choices, engages us in a philosophical question about perspective and worth. Does the jewel represent a critique of material values versus natural instincts? It remains open to our interpretation.