Democrat Party Rooster
- Oil on Board
- 30 x 24 in
- Henry Lawrence Faulkner
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åÊ This work was purportedly done for the Kentucky DemocraticåÊParty. Whether it was a commission or Faulkner painted it withåÊthe intention of selling it to the organization is not known.åÊHowever, the painting was never delivered. The rooster has longåÊbeen the symbol for Kentucky Democrats; the work also featuresåÊa modified version of the Kentucky state seal in the lower leftåÊcorner. While Thomas Nast‰Ûªs famed donkey of the 1870s hasåÊsurpassed the rooster as a party symbol nationally, the roosteråÊcame about in 1840 as an insult by the Whigs toward JacksonianåÊDemocrat Joseph Chapman‰Ûªs ‰ÛÏcrowing‰Û during his famedåÊorations. Having never delivered the painting to the Democratic Party,åÊFaulkner used it to pay a Lexington attorney for services inåÊgetting him out of legal jams. Later, Faulkner found himself inåÊanother situation with the law and called the lawyer, who was outåÊof town and unable to help. Forced to pay for another attorney,åÊFaulkner took the painting and two chairs from his first lawyer‰ÛªsåÊoffice and used them to pay the other lawyer, who has held theåÊwork until the present day.