The Rooster

Depicted in vibrant, regal colours and proudly monopolising the entire canvas, Ismail Fattah’s subject is a glorious rooster. The shades of golden yellow used to depict his feathers, dotted only with emerald green and brown to highlight the bird’s impressive fantail reinforce the princely presence of this creature, while the splashes of red that show off his bright red comb and wattle - a key tool used to attract females – remind us of his masculinity. A petrol blue background ensures there is no distraction from this statesmanlike subject.

Born in 1934 in Basra, Fattah studied painting and sculpture under the instruction of Jewad Selim at the Institute of Fine Arts, Baghdad, before furthering his training in Rome, where he studied sculpture at the Accademia di Belle Arti, and ceramics at the Accademia San Giacomo. He went on to become a significant post-war and contemporary painter.

Fattah taught ceramics and sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad. He was also a member of several movements, including the Baghdad Group of Modern Art and the Society of Iraqi Artists for Abstract Art, of which he was president for seven years. He was also a founding member of both the New Vision group and Al-Zawya, exhibiting his work at their first group show. Fattah’s work was exhibited widely at home and abroad, including in Qatar, where he lived for several years. He also undertook several public commissions, including the renowned Monument of the Martyr. He died in 2004 in Baghdad.