Gerard ter Borch - Woman Playing the Theorbo-Lute and a Cavalier[c.1658]

Gerard ter Borch - Woman Playing the Theorbo-Lute and a Cavalier [c.1658], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

Ter Borch (Dutch, Zwolle, 1617 - Deventer, 1681) was an exceptionally gifted observer of social behavior as well as physical qualities, such as the surfaces of fine materials or the naturalistic arrangement of objects in space. In this panel of about 1658 a duet, the man seems to be singing, resonates to the heartstrings, while a watch quietly recommends temperance.

[Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - Oil on wood, 36.8 x 32.4 cm]