Picasso’s 1944 painting, The Cock of the Liberation captures the end of the Nazi reign in France, and features a proud, colorful rooster to ring (or crow) in the new era.

When you think of France, perhaps you think of croissants, escargots, Notre Dame, or the Louvre. Picasso, on the other hand, thinks of cock. Well, one in particular: The symbolic bird of France. Hey, everyone loves a good liberation, right?

All right, all right. Now that we have had our fun… Picasso was a known animal lover. He often anthropomorphized animals in his work - anyone heard of Guernica? Here, in Liberation, there are two central birds: the rooster, and the dove. The phallic rooster - excuse me, Gallic Rooster - is the symbol of France, here mounting the rock to crow, to let everyone know that it is the dawn of a new, Nazi-free day and era. The dove - here a blue-tinged variation - is a symbol of peace, one that recurs across Picasso’s oeuvre.

This piece is noteworthy for its bold colors. During the war, Picasso’s palette was much darker, with more grey, black, and white hues. Here, the global oppression has lifted, and Picasso seems to celebrate by letting his colors come out. Roosters are actually very colorful creatures, with red, brown, even blueish-green hued feathers. So, while any cock with that coloration may be alarming at first, there’s probably no need to take it to the doctor - I mean vet. The signature cubist style is what was more alarming here. Any bird in that shape should definitely be checked out.

This painting is now housed in the Milwaukee Art Museum, and is a standout in the collection. It has been named as one of the most valuable works in their collection. I can understand how a piece like this would draw attention, can’t you?

Okay, I *may* have taken the innuendo a little far, but c’mon. Picasso was a NOTORIOUS ladies’ man, so he’d probably get a kick out of it.