Eugène Cottin – Large Scene From A Farmyard With A Rooster And Hens – 19th Century

A significant oil on canvas signed Eugène Cottin in the lower right corner, depicting a lively farmyard scene featuring a rooster and several hens in the rustic interior of a farmhouse.

The painter organizes his composition around the imposing figure of the rooster, which dominates the scene with its haughty bearing and rich plumage. Its crest, with its shades of blond, reddish-brown, and gold, stands out strikingly against the dark background of the barn. In the foreground, a hen with gray and white plumage pecks at a bowl, while several other birds are visible in the dim light.

Light plays an essential role here: striking the right-hand wall, it contrasts warm, luminous tones with the deep browns of the farmhouse interior. The free and vigorous treatment of the subject matter—particularly evident in the birds’ plumage, the straw, and the rustic elements of the setting—lends this composition a great deal of life and presence.

Eugène Jean-François Cottin (1840/1841–1902) was a French painter, draftsman, engraver, illustrator, and caricaturist originally from Strasbourg. A student of Léon Bonnat and Léon-Victor Dupré, he made his debut at the Salon de Paris in 1879, where he exhibited military subjects, among others. The official catalog of the 1879 Salon indeed lists him as having been born in Strasbourg and as a student of Bonnat and V. Dupré.

Alongside his military scenes, Cottin produced a significant body of animal paintings, in which scenes of farmyards, roosters, and poultry feature prominently. A multifaceted artist, he also distinguished himself as a humorist and caricaturist and contributed to several newspapers of his time, including Le Chat Noir, Gil Blas, L’Intransigeant, and La Fronde. In 1900, he published a collection of judicial caricatures titled Drôleries du Palais. Several of his works are now held in French public collections, notably at the Louis-Senlecq Museum of Art and History in L’Isle-Adam.

This large composition measuring 108 × 90.5 cm is a fine example of his animal paintings. Its particularly large format greatly enhances its decorative quality and allows the painter to develop a true genre scene, going beyond a simple study of poultry.

The work is presented in its original wooden frame with gilded stucco, decorated with heart-and-arrow motifs and fluting.

Oil on canvas.
Signed “Cottin” in the lower right corner.
Date: second half of the 19th century, probably the last quarter of the 19th century.

Canvas dimensions: 108 × 90.5 cm.

Condition consistent with its age, with crackling in the paint layer. Previous restoration on the left side of the canvas. Some wear and minor imperfections on the frame visible in the photographs.

Delivery between two wooden boards by a carrier to the ground floor in front of your home: 150 euros in France, 300 euros in the EU, and 1,000 euros for the rest of the world.