The Threatened Swan Defending Its Nest
2022 © Maxim Tabachnik
Copy of The Night WatchPortrait of a Smiling CoupleThe Feast of St NicholasSelf-Portrait as a ParisianThe Little Street in DelftThe Threatened Swan Defending Its NestThe Jewish BridePortrait of Oopjen Coppit by RembrandtCopy of The Night WatchStill Life with PeacocksPetronella Oortman’s 17th-Century DollhouseRijksmuseum Research Library, Amsterdam

The Threatened Swan Defending Its NestJan Asselijn

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This work (c. 1650) shows a swan defending its nest from a dog. It later became an allegory for Johan de Witt, a Dutch statesman assassinated in 1672, symbolizing his defense of the nation. In 1800, it was the first acquisition of the Nationale Kunstgalerij, highlighting its cultural significance.