2-974-755 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The Threatened Swan, c.1650. 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.