Haan met korenhalm after 1659

This engraving of a rooster with a wheat stalk was made by an anonymous artist in the Netherlands. The print’s small size suggests it was part of a series in an emblem book or natural history publication, genres that were popular among educated elites. Looking closely, we can see the rooster dominates the image. Its thick plumage is carefully described using tight, controlled lines that give the figure a sense of volume, while the background landscape is merely suggested. The presence of a rooster has many associations. As a farm animal, it represents rural life. But its association with virility might also refer to the rising merchant class's sense of masculine power. To understand this image better, we could research the rooster’s symbolic value within Dutch print culture. The social conditions that shape artistic production are complex, and this image invites further investigation.