Woman at a Mirror

Creator Name

Gerard ter Borch the Younger

Cultural Context

Dutch

Date

Creation: 17th century

Source

Rijksmuseum

About the Work

Curationist Object Description

A young woman dressed in lavish garb sits with her back to the viewer, gazing at an older woman standing next to her. The viewer sees the lavishly dressed young woman's reflection in a mirror, held by a child. Into the 17th century in the Netherlands, women continued to be associated with mirrors as a sign of their vanity and weak moral character. This misconception was furthered by Christian authorities. Gerard ter Borch (II) painted Woman at a Mirror as a warning to women that beauty will fade.

Ter Borch (II) was born into an accomplished, artistic family during the 17th century in the Netherlands. He studied as a painter, as did his sister Gesina, who was likely the model for his painting.

Rijksmuseum Object Description

Vrouw voor een spiegel. Zittende jonge vrouw voor een jongen die een spiegel vasthoudt. Hiernaast een staande vrouw met hoofddoek. Vermoedelijk een portret van Gesina ter Borch.

Work details

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Title

Woman at a Mirror

Creator

Gerard ter Borch the Younger (link to bio), Painter

Borch, Gerard ter (II), painter, schilder;
Borch, Gerard ter (II)

Worktype

painting; schilderij

Cultural Context

Dutch

Material

panel; paneel; oil paint (paint); olieverf

Dimensions

height: 34.5cm;
drager: hoogte: 34.5cm;
width: 26cm;
drager: breedte: 26cm

Technique

Language

Date

Creation: 17th century

Expression creation: third quarter 17th century, derde kwart 17e eeuw

Provenance

…; ? sale, Edward Coxe, (1748-1814, London), London (Peter Coxe), 23 April 1807 sqq., no. 32, (‘A Lady at her Toilette, with a female Attendant, and Boy waiting - grouped with great judgement, and finished with perfection and accuracy - the reflection in the Mirror happily accomplished’), £15 4s 6d, bought in;{Copy RKD.} ? sale, Edward Coxe et al., [section Edward Coxe], London (Mr Squibb), 13 (15) April 1815 sqq., no. 44, (‘A Lady at Her Toilet’), £16 16s [[M14]] ;{Copy RKD.} ...; ? sale, Easthoven, London (Mr Christie), 29 April 1826, no. 124, ? 22 gns (‘A Lady in a white satin dress, her back turned to the spectator, in conversation with her female attendant, while a servant boy holds a toilette glass, in which her face is pleasingly reflected; a very highly finished picture’);{Copy National Gallery, London.}...; anonymous sale, Amsterdam (J. de Vries), 19 July 1826, no. 54, (‘TERBURGH, (G.) hoog 3 p. 4 d., breed 2 p. 6 d. [34 x 26 cm] Paneel. Eene Dame in wit satijn gekleed, zittende met hare rug gekeerd naar den beschouwer, aan eene tafel, waarachter een jongeling staat, eene spiegel voor haar in de handen houdende, en waarin haar aangezigt is voorgesteld, nevens haar staat eene burgervrouw, alle ter halver lijve; […]’), fl. 260, to the dealer Jeronimo de Vries, Amsterdam;{Copy RKD.} …; anonymous sale, Rotterdam (A. Lamme), 26 April 1830, no. 68, (‘Eene Dame die haar toilet zit te maken, zeer prachtig in eene witte satijne met goud geborduurde japon gekleed, voor dezelve staat een spiegel waarin men haar gezigt ziet, verder eene kamenier en kamerjongen; […] Pan., h. 33 d. br. 24 d. [33 x 24 cm]’), fl. 280, to the dealer Lamme;{Copy RMA.}…; anonymous collection, London, 1906;{Amsterdam 1906, p. 7, no. 16.} …; collection Sir George Donaldson (1845-1925), London;{Hofstede de Groot V, 1912, p. 25, no 52.} …; ? Galerie C. Brunner, Paris, 1910, no 53, ‘Jeune dame a sa toilette, composition de trois figures, bois, H 33 x L 25 cent, Collection de M.A.L.’;{Hofstede de Groot notes, RKD.} …; purchased from the dealer Muller, Amsterdam, by Albert Lehman, Paris, through the mediation of Frits Lugt, between 1906 and 1911;{Note RMA; Paris 1911, p. 26, no. 150.} his sale, Paris (Galerie Georges Petit), 12 June 1925 sq.q, no. 289, frs. 325,000, to the dealer Féral;{Copy RMA.}…; collection R. Schumann, Paris, after 1925;{Note RMA.}…; collection Etienne Nicolas (1870-1960, Paris), 1937;{Note RMA.} from whom, fl. 38,000, to Frederik Schmidt-Degener, for Isaac de Bruijn (1872-1953), Muri near Bern, June 1937;{Note RMA.} donated to the museum by Isaäc de Bruijn and his wife, Johanna Geertruida de Bruijn-van der Leeuw (1877-1960), Spiez and Muri, near Bern, 1949, but kept in usufruct;{Note RMA.} transferred to the museum, 1961

Style Period

Baroque

Rights

Public Domain;

CC0

Public Domain Mark 1.0; CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)

Inscription

Location

Source

Rijksmuseum

Subjects

Descriptive Topic: Woman, Child, Mirror, Domestic worker, Portrait, Vanity, Reflection

looking in the mirror; contemplation of own beauty; dress, gown (+ women's clothes); Borch, Gesina ter

Topic

Curationist Contributors

Amanda Acosta

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