Dutch school: The riddle of Nijmegen, oil on panel, 17th C.

Work: 62,5 x 47 cm

Frame: 76 x 60 cm

The panel most possibly cradled in 1971 (see the note on the back).

A similar painting hangs in the town hall of Nijmegen, hence the title. However, it is not certain that Nijmegen is the city of origin of the riddle. The riddle is also known as "The Riddle of the Young Woman, the Old Man, and Their Six Sons." The woman is the mother of six sons, four of whom are her uncles.

The wife of the old man speaks (link):

“Remark and see that I declare
The two in red are my father’s brothers.
The two in green are my mother’s brothers.
The two in white are my children
and I, the mother, am married to the father of these six
That no degree of kinship can forbid.”

Two two sons in red say:
“We would have regretted if not
our niece had been given to our father
Because she is not our father’s niece
Which nobody would easily guess.”

The two in green say:
“It is remarkable to show in these figures
that he is our natural father
And has married our niece
Which we don’t regret.”

The two in white say:
“Our father is the old man.
Our mother is the young lady.
But tell us how it is possible
That our brothers are our mother’s uncles?”

For the solution to the riddle, click here.