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The Threatened Swan

Portrait of a couple, probably Isaac Abrahamsz Massa and Beatrix van der Laen

From the series One hundred masterpieces
Portrait of a Married Couple, Likely Isaac Abrahamsz Massa and Beatrix van der Laen oil on canvas, c. 1622

The relaxed young woman smiles at us. This is unusual for 17th-century likenesses, which tended to be more formal. There is every reason to be cheerful here, because it is a wedding portrait

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Portrait of a Married Couple, Likely Isaac Abrahamsz Massa and Beatrix van der Laen Portrait of a Married Couple, Likely Isaac Abrahamsz Massa and Beatrix van der Laen

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