Heer die een dame groet (Gentleman Greeting a Lady) - Gesina ter Borch

A delicate 1654 watercolour and ink study by Gesina ter Borch, depicting a gentleman greeting a lady, accompanied by handwritten Dutch verse.

This work by Gesina ter Borch, dated 21 January 1654, originates from her personal album of poetry and drawings. The composition features a gentleman in a distinctive red cloak bowing to a lady, who stands in a modest pose. The figures are rendered with delicate ink outlines and subtle watercolour washes, typical of the amateur yet highly skilled output of the Ter Borch family circle. The scene is set against a page of handwritten Dutch verse, which provides a lyrical context for the interaction between the two figures.

Gesina ter Borch was a talented draughtswoman who documented the social customs and fashions of the Dutch Republic. Her work often captures the quiet, domestic, or courtly interactions of her contemporaries. The gentleman is depicted with a plumed hat held in his hand, a gesture of respect and social etiquette common in the mid-seventeenth century. The lady wears a dark bodice and a voluminous skirt, reflecting the modest yet fashionable attire of the period. The paper shows signs of age, with the ink script remaining legible alongside the carefully applied pigments. This piece offers a glimpse into the private artistic practices of the Dutch elite, where literature and visual art were frequently combined in personal albums. The focus on gesture and costume provides a clear record of the period's social dynamics, presented with a light, observational touch that avoids the grandiosity of larger oil paintings from the same era.