Skip to content

Woman at a Mirror

Creator Name

Curationist Logo
Gerard ter Borch the Younger

Cultural Context

Curationist Logo
Dutch; European

Date

Curationist Logo
Creation: 17th century

About the Work

Curationist LogoCurationist 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
A young boy holds up a mirror for the woman in the satin gown, who gazes upward at a far more plainly dressed woman. In the 17th century, mirrors symbolized vanity and the transience of life. This painting serves as a cautionary reminder: youth and beauty are fleeting. Ter Borch’s sister, Gesina, also an artist, probably modelled for both women, and his brother Moses for the boy.

Een jongetje houdt de vrouw in de satijnen jurk een spiegel voor. Zij kijkt omhoog naar een vrouw, die juist eenvoudig is gekleed. De spiegel was in de 17de eeuw een teken van ijdelheid en vergankelijkheid. Dit schilderij is een waarschuwing: jeugd en schoonheid
zijn maar tijdelijk. Waarschijnlijk stond Ter Borchs zus Gesina, zelf ook ...

Work details

"--" = no data available
Curationist Logo= Curationist added metadata

Title

Woman at a Mirror

Creator

Gerard ter Borch (II), schilder, painter, draftsman (artist), tekenaar;
Gerard ter Borch (II), schilder, painter, draftsman (artist), tekenaar;
Borch, Gerard ter (II), painter, schilder

Worktype

painting; schilderij; painting; schilderij

Cultural Context

Curationist Logo
Dutch; European

Material

paneel; panel; oil paint (paint); olieverf; panel; oil paint (paint); olieverf

Dimensions

height 34.5 cm x width 26 cm;
drager: hoogte 34,5 cm (paneelmaat) x breedte 26 cm (paneelmaat);
height: 34.5cm;
drager: hoogte: 34.5cm;
width: 26cm;
drager: breedte: 26cm

Technique

Curationist Logo
Painting; Oil painting

Language

--

Date

Curationist Logo
Creation: 17th century
c. 1652, ca. 1652;
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; De Bruijn-van der Leeuw Bequest, Muri, Switzerland; Legaat van de heer en mevrouw De Bruijn-van der Leeuw, Muri, Zwitserland; …; ? 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

Curationist Logo
Baroque

Rights

Curationist Logo
Public Domain;
CC0
Public domain; Public Domain Mark 1.0; CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)

Inscription

--

Location

Curationist Logo
Creation: Netherlands, Western Europe, Europe

Subjects

Curationist Logo
Descriptive Topic: Mirror, Vanity, Reflection, People, Woman, Child, Senior, European people, Dutch people, Domestic worker , Youth, Aging;
Personal Name: Gesina ter Borch
Gesina ter Borch; Gesina ter Borch; looking in the mirror; contemplation of own beauty; dress, gown (+ women's clothes); looking in the mirror; contemplation of own beauty; dress, gown (+ women's clothes); Borch, Gesina ter

Topic

--

Curationist Contributors

Curationist Logo
Emily Benoff; Amanda Acosta

All Works in Curationist’s archives can be reproduced and used freely. How to attribute this Work:

Gerard ter Borch the Younger, Woman at a Mirror, circa 1652. Rijksmuseum. Gerard ter Borch the Younger's sister, Gesina, was also a painter and likely the model for Woman at a Mirror. Public Domain.

Help us improve this content!

Let our archivists know if you have something to add.

Save this work.

Start an account to add this work to your personal curated collection.
masonry card