Gerard ter Borch, Dutch Master

Gerard ter Borch the Younger was born in Zwolle, the Netherlands, in 1617 to an affluent family of artists, but he would become the most accomplished and successful. He showed early aptitude as an artist while studying drawing with his father, Gerard ter Borch the Elder, producing his first accomplished piece in 1625. In 1633, he moved to Haarlem and became a master in the St. Luke’s Guild for painters while collaborating on landscape portraits during his apprenticeship for Pieter Molijn. Soon after, Ter Borch visited London, where he was trained by his uncle, engraver Robert van Voerst. It has also been documented that he traveled to other countries in Europe to study, including Spain, where he was privileged to paint a portrait of King Philip IV in 1637.

Although Ter Borch was schooled in many disciplines of fine art, he became most appreciated as an oil painter, earning praise for his ability to render the varied textures of luxurious fabrics such as silk, satin, lace and leather. Ter Borch’s work also went beyond masterful technique; his psychological insight into the drama of the encounters he depicted, capturing the inner life of his subjects, set him apart from his contemporaries. In addition to Ter Borch’s many portraits and genre scenes, he recorded important historical events during his three-year stay in Münster, Westphalia. Two of his renowned paintings, The Swearing of the Oath of Ratification of the Treaty of Münster (1648) and The Arrival of Adriaen de Pauw (1646), were the most celebrated among his political depictions.

In 1654, Ter Borch married Geertruyt Matthijs, with whom he settled in Deventer and become a gemeensman (city counselor) in 1666. He remained in Deventer, painting high Dutch society until he died in 1681.

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Image Detail: Self-Portrait, ca. 1668; Oil on canvas. Royal Cabinet of Paintings Mauritshuis, The Hague.


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