This majestic rooster stands atop his pedestal, gazing fondly about his garden.
"Chanticleer" usually refers to roosters, but it was also the name of Adolf Rosengarten's beautiful estate on the Philadelphia Main Line. Today, the Chanticleer estate is now a pleasure garden open all year to the public in the Wayne/ St. David's area of the Main Line. According to the website, "Mr. Rosengarten's humor is evident in naming his home after the estate "Chanticlere" in Thackeray's 1855 novel The Newcomes. The fictional Chanticlere was "mortgaged up to the very castle windows" but "still the show of the county." Playing on the word, which is synonymous with "rooster," the Rosengartens used rooster motifs throughout the estate."
I love visiting Chanticleer whenever I am in the area, and it is especially beautiful in the spring. Here is another painting that I did of the estate a while back:
If you are in the Wayne/St. David's area, be sure to visit the gardens. Private and group tours of the Rosengarten's former home are also available. Visit their website here for additional information.
