It sounds like a stretch, until you see that the term ‘de raad-pensionaris’ (De Witt’s job title) is written between the swan’s legs, and that ‘de viand van de staat’ (‘enemy of the state’ in 17th-century Dutch) is written above the head of the threatening dog. The prevailing theory is that the swan represents Johan de Witt, the political leader of Holland at the time, defending the country from its various enemies. There are a few different interpretations of what Asselijn was intending to convey with this painting. The painting’s sheer size also adds to the swan’s intimidation factor: the canvas is large enough that the creature is basically life-sized. More specifically, he’s famous for this depiction of a threatened swan, honking ferociously at its canine attacker. As opposed to Van Gogh, Jan Asselijn is actually renowned for his paintings of birds. “… it became the very first acquisition to enter the Nationale Kunstgalerij (the forerunner of the Rijksmuseum) in 1880.” įrom one Dutch master to another. It looks like the kind of bird that says “Hope you have a good day” and really means it. Dürer’s portrait takes the exact opposite approach: it’s charming, adorable, and just a very nice little owl overall. Owls were associated with darkness, uncleanliness, and generally being pretty evil. Up until this point, owls had generally been used in art as symbolic creatures – often of the terrors that may await you in the night they were depicted as predators, or harbingers of doom. His faithful recreation has stood the test of time, and is still admired as a masterpiece over 500 years after it was painted. The best example is his famous Little Owl, a small creature full of character and expression. “As I grew older, I realized that it was much better to insist on the genuine forms of nature, for simplicity is the greatest adornment of art.” Albrecht Dürerĭürer was an early proponent of animal paintings, and created some of history’s most beloved renditions of birds. It’s suggested that minor damage found on the painting may have actually been caused by the massive explosion that killed Fabritius. More than two centuries later, in 1859, it was rediscovered after somehow making its way into the collection of a former Dutch army officer. It was lost after Fabritius perished in the infamous ‘Delft Thunderclap’: a gunpowder explosion that destroyed a substantial part of the city in 1654. Like many great artworks, however, The Goldfinch has a tragic backstory. There’s something deeply appealing about these birds that endears them to humans, and Fabritius managed to capture the creature’s beauty and slight melancholy in his depiction. During Fabritius’s time, they were commonly associated with health and good fortune, and had been domesticated by humans as decorations and companions since the era of the ancient Romans. Goldfinches are widespread across different continents, and are known mostly for their pleasant song and vivid colouration. The painting features a life-sized depiction of a goldfinch, chained to its perch – it’s comparatively simple and modest when compared to other Dutch masterworks of the same time, but the painting’s enduring appeal comes from the subject matter itself. It inspired a Pulitzer Prize-winning book (and a subsequent disappointing film adaptation), and is one of the main attractions at The Hague’s renowned Mauritshuis. One prisoner looking at another.” Donna Tartt, The GoldfinchĪrguably the most famous bird painting of all time, this tiny masterpiece has several claims to fame. “And, in this staunch little portrait, it’s hard not to see the human in the finch.
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