POULET SUPRÊME

The fine-feathered past of poultry, detailed in a coffee-table tome

Preened to perfection, gloriously glossy and coolly coquettish, chickens are the undiscovered supermodels of the livestock world. A spectacular book of sultry poultry photography showcases resplendent roosters in all their beauty: white silky plumes, soft woolly crowns and billowing fluffy legs appear in high definition with sombre overhead lighting against a dark background that offers Caravaggio-like drama. Alongside such exquisite images are chapters detailing the birds’ high-flying history – from Queen Victoria’s pet Chinese Cochins and Indian Brahmas to the Rococo painter Jean-baptiste Oudry’s abundance of avian studies. brooke theis ‘Chicken’ by Matteo Tranchellini and Moreno Monti (£29.95, Teneues) is out now.