Being rich in the 18th century often included commissioning art for your large mansion. These could be portraits, still life, landscapes, artistic representations of historical events, or chickens with heads of your court ladies. The painting was commissioned by Count Karl Tessin, who collected and commissioned art. The painting depicts six hens (single ladies) with a rooster in the background, which was meant to be Tessin himself. This painting was a private one, intended to be seen only by a narrow circle of people. Today the closest comparison might be pornography…
