Han Dynasty Rooster

The vibrant blue wooden border helps draw attention to the subject of the painting, a Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) green terracotta figure of a rooster. These figures were common tomb offerings, paying an homage to aspects of their early lives, such as farming. Here, Lijftogt paints the figure with unmistakably realistic detail, flawlessly capturing how light reflects off the glazed terracotta. Even the dents in the blue wooden border were painted with incredible attention to detail.