#drawing #art #portraiture
Oil on canvas, 206 × 129 cm
Location: Musée La Piscine, Roubaix (accession no. 924‑1‑1)
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In this dynamic and charged genre painting, Rémy Cogghe captures the raw energy and social reality of a traditional cockfight — a spectacle deeply rooted in local Flemish culture. The crowded scene is alive with tension: spectators lean eagerly over the periphery, their faces rendered with vivid realism, while the two roosters at the center engage in fierce combat, their movements full of motion and threat.
Cogghe’s masterful use of light and color brings the moment to life: earthy tones predominate, highlighting the grit of the arena and the intensity of the event. The figures’ postures, hats, and rough clothing evoke a working-class milieu, emphasizing the social dynamics at play. Rather than glamorizing violence, the painting conveys a sociological dimension — it’s not just a fight, but a communal gathering where men from different social strata converge, united by tradition and spectacle.
On a deeper level, Combat de coqs en Flandre transcends its immediate subject to reflect on the shared identity of Roubaix’s industrial population. Despite the brutal nature of the fight, Cogghe infuses the scene with a sense of ritual and belonging: this is not chaos, but a performance rooted in long-standing social customs.