{"product_id":"jan-asselijn-threatened-swan-print","title":"Jan Asselijn Threatened Swan Print","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eWings Wide Open: Fury and Feathers \u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e🦢\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePainted around 1650, the picture is almost absurdly immersive. Asselijn drops the horizon low and lets the swan swallow up roughly a third of the canvas, its wings thrown open at full life-size span as it hisses towards an approaching dog. Loose feathers hang suspended mid-air, caught in the violence of the moment, while behind her, half-submerged, sit the eggs she is dying to protect. It is less a nature study than a thriller with wings, and it remains one of the most instantly recognisable images to emerge from 17th century Dutch painting.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTechnical analysis has shown that the three painted inscriptions now visible on the canvas, reading roughly \"the Grand Pensionary\", \"the enemy of the state\" and \"Holland\" on one of the eggs, were added after Asselijn's death, almost certainly not by his own hand. Whoever added them transformed a simple animal skirmish into a coded political allegory, with the swan reinterpreted as the Dutch statesman Johan de Witt defending the young Republic from its enemies. De Witt, who effectively ran the country as Grand Pensionary of Holland before his assassination in 1672, became forever entwined with this fierce, protective bird, even though Asselijn almost certainly never intended the connection. Few paintings have been quite so successfully rebranded by history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe Painter They Called \"Little Crab\" 🦀\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eJan Asselijn (c.1610 to 1652) was born in Dieppe, France, before his family settled in Amsterdam, where he trained under battle-scene specialist Jan Martszen the Younger. Like so many ambitious Dutch painters of his generation, he travelled south to Italy, spending close to a decade in Rome among the Bentvueghels, a boisterous brotherhood of Netherlandish artists living abroad. It was there that fellow members gave him the nickname \"Crabbetje\", or Little Crab, on account of a withered hand, a detail that never once slowed his brushwork. He returned north as one of the leading lights of Dutch Italianate landscape painting, prized for his silvery light and golden Roman glow, and he counted Rembrandt among his acquaintances, who etched a portrait of him at his easel. \u003cem\u003eThreatened Swan\u003c\/em\u003e, painted in the final years of his life, stands apart from his usual sunlit ruins as his most dramatic and enduring statement, animal painting elevated to full historical grandeur.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e🎨 \u003cstrong\u003eWhy Choose This Art Print?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis isn’t just any reproduction. Our fine art posters use \u003cstrong\u003ecutting-edge giclée fine art 12-colour printing technology\u003c\/strong\u003e to ensure every subtle hue is faithfully rendered. The \u003cstrong\u003esmooth matte finish on FSC-certified paper\u003c\/strong\u003e keeps your art print \u003cstrong\u003eglare-free\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eeco-friendly\u003c\/strong\u003e, perfect for collectors who care about sustainability and quality alike. What's more, ART SNOB prints every image at \u003cstrong\u003eover 350 dpi\u003c\/strong\u003e, ensuring ultra-sharp clarity and incredible definition that truly stands out.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eA Print Worthy of the Masterpiece \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e🎨\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e🌈 Ultra-vivid 12-colour giclée printing for brilliant, true-to-life colours\u003cbr\u003e📜 Matte finish ensures a sophisticated, glare-free display\u003cbr\u003e🖼️ Printed on thick, durable 200 gsm FSC-certified paper — eco-friendly and built to last\u003cbr\u003e📏 Available in multiple sizes including 8x10, 12x16, and 16x20 inches to fit any space\u003cbr\u003e🌿 Made with sustainable materials for environmentally conscious style\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ARTSNOB","offers":[{"title":"A4 (21 x 29.7cm) – Unframed","offer_id":58390445883723,"sku":null,"price":16.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (21 x 29.7cm) – Framed","offer_id":58390445916491,"sku":null,"price":26.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (29.7 x 42cm) – Unframed","offer_id":58390445949259,"sku":null,"price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (29.7 x 42cm) – Framed","offer_id":58390445982027,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"50 x 70cm – Unframed","offer_id":58390446014795,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"50 x 70cm – Framed","offer_id":58390446047563,"sku":null,"price":50.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A1 (59.4 x 84.1cm) – Unframed","offer_id":58390446080331,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A1 (59.4 x 84.1cm) – Framed","offer_id":58390446113099,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0944\/8790\/4587\/files\/jan-asselijn-threatened-swan-wall-art-print-1.jpg?v=1788747573","url":"https:\/\/artsnob.co.uk\/products\/jan-asselijn-threatened-swan-print","provider":"ART SNOB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}