Vignet met een zwaan 1680 - 1731

Jan Goeree created this swan vignette using etching techniques sometime between 1680 and 1731. The swan, poised between aggression and grace, seems to be guarding a scene from the Dutch Golden Age. But what is it protecting? A cityscape in the background holds church spires and windmills. In the foreground, emblems of mortality – skulls – perch precariously above symbols of civic pride. The swan itself embodies dualities. It is a symbol of purity and elegance, but here its raised wings and open beak suggest a fierce defensiveness. Is Goeree commenting on the fragility of the Dutch Republic's prosperity, or perhaps the ever-present tension between life's beauty and its inevitable end? This tiny print invites us to contemplate the complexities of identity, history, and the stories we choose to tell about ourselves. It’s a reminder that even in moments of apparent tranquility, there is always a deeper, more nuanced narrative waiting to be uncovered.