Rooster 

Jules Schmalzigaug made this watercolor called "Rooster" sometime before his death in 1917. Schmalzigaug was deeply engaged with the Futurist movement, which celebrated technology, speed, and the dynamism of modern life while often sidelining or altogether ignoring the realities of class, race and gender. Here, the rooster, typically a symbol of virility and national pride, is rendered in soft, almost hesitant strokes. Schmalzigaug's approach to the rooster seems to resist traditional representations. He captures the essence of movement and energy associated with Futurism, yet it's tempered with an understated palette. The rooster appears as an ethereal being, more idea than physical presence. Perhaps Schmalzigaug offers us a reflection on the tension between the Futurist ideals and the complex realities of identity during a time of immense social and political upheaval. In the end, the emotional and personal dimensions of the artwork, invite us to consider our own relationship to these grand narratives.