Curiosity

Gerard ter Borch the Younger Dutch

Not on view


Seventeenth-century Dutch paintings were immensely popular among eighteenth-century French collectors, and they made a direct impact on contemporary French artists such as Jean François de Troy, who emulated intimate scale, concern with daily life, and meticulous technique. In this painting, documented in a Parisian collection by the 1760s, women of different ages occupy a luxurious interior: the eldest writes a letter while the youngest peers over her shoulder. A third woman—dressed in the radiant satin often associated with Ter Borch and emulated by eighteenth-century French painters—appears pensive or lovelorn. Most likely, her older friend is helping her to draft a response to a love letter.

#5258. Curiosity

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Curiosity, Gerard ter Borch the Younger (Dutch, Zwolle 1617–1681 Deventer), Oil on canvas

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