Soldaat en dame, van achteren - Gesina ter Borch

A delicate seventeenth-century watercolour study by Gesina ter Borch, depicting a soldier and a lady from behind, set against a page of Dutch manuscript verse.

This delicate work by Gesina ter Borch originates from her personal album, a collection that offers a rare glimpse into the private life and artistic pursuits of a seventeenth-century Dutch woman. The composition features a soldier and a lady, both viewed from behind, positioned at the base of a page filled with handwritten verse. Ter Borch, the sister of the painter Gerard ter Borch, was an accomplished amateur artist who frequently documented the social customs and fashions of her era.

The figures are rendered with a light touch, typical of her watercolour studies. The soldier wears a wide-brimmed hat with a feather, while the lady is depicted in a dark gown, holding a small plume. Their placement at the bottom of the page suggests a narrative connection to the surrounding text, which consists of song lyrics or poetry. This integration of visual art and calligraphy is characteristic of the albums kept by educated women in the Dutch Republic, where such volumes functioned as both personal diaries and social objects for sharing with friends and family.

Unlike the formal oil paintings produced by her male contemporaries, this work possesses an informal, intimate quality. The focus on the backs of the figures creates a sense of mystery, as if the viewer has interrupted a private moment. The muted palette and fine ink lines reflect the domestic scale of the piece. By preserving these scenes, Ter Borch provides a record of contemporary dress and social interaction, captured with a keen eye for detail. This print captures the original character of the manuscript page, maintaining the relationship between the figures and the surrounding script, which remains a primary feature of the composition.