The Threatened Swan

The Threatened Swan (Dutch: De bedreigde zwaan) is an oil painting of a mute swan made around 1650 by Dutch Golden Age painter Jan Asselijn. The work is in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

It is 144 centimetres (57 in) high and 171 centimetres (67 in) wide. The painting's subject is a life-size swan (Cygnus olor) defending its nest against a dog. At the bottom right, the painting is signed with the monogram "A".

By 1800 when it was purchased, the painting was interpreted as a political allegory of grand pensionary (the highest official in Holland, the main province of the Dutch Republic) Johan de Witt protecting the country from its enemies. Three inscriptions had been added: the words "de raad-pensionaris" (the grand pensionary) between the swan's legs, the words "de viand van de staat" (the enemy of the state) above the head of the dog on the left, and t…

摘自英文维基百科「The Threatened Swan」（CC BY-SA 4.0），暂时没有中文条目。