The Threatened Swan, Interpreted later as an Allegory on Johan de Witt. With its wings stretched and its neck poised, the swan protects her eggs against a dog swimming nearby. Showing the scene from a low angle emphasises the bird's power. The inscriptions - 'De Viand van de Staat' (the enemy of the state), 'De Raad-Pensionaris' (the grand pensionary), 'Holland' - are a later addition and have a political message. The white swan was thought to symbolize the Dutch statesman Johan de Witt (assassinated in 1672) protecting the country from its enemies.

---

Size: 5728px × 4830px
Photo credit: © Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 17th, age, aggression, aggressive, agression, allegory, animal, aquatic, art, asselijin, asselijn, asselyn, beak, bill, bird, birds, canvas, century, color, colour, concept, countries, dutch, egg, eggs, esselin, europe, feather, feathers, female, gender, golden, heritage, home, jan, museum, nest, netherlands, oil, painting, protect, protected, protection, protective, rijksmuseum, seventeenth, swan, water, waterbird, wings