“The coveted treat (child in the chicken yard)” is an artwork by Jakob Becker, a painter whose work is associated with the Romanticism art movement. This painting captures a bucolic scene in a chicken yard where various elements of rural life are depicted with a sense of nostalgia and idealization typical of Romantic art.
The artwork portrays a young child standing in a sunlit yard surrounded by a variety of animals. A white dog is sitting upright, attentively looking at the treat held aloft by the child. Chickens and roosters of different colors are scattered around, some pecking at the ground while others gaze upward toward the child’s hand. A pigeon perched on the edge of a bucket and another on the ground contribute to the painting’s portrayal of rural life and the close relationship between humans and animals. In the doorway, a woman is observing the scene with a gentle, amused expression, leaning on the doorframe with a relaxed posture. The painting utilizes fine detail, soft light, and rich color to create a harmonious and sentimental snapshot of life in the countryside.
