Ter Borch or Terborch, Gerard

Ter Borch or Terborch, Gerard (gā'rärt turbôrkh') [key], 1617–81, Dutch genre and portrait painter. He studied with his father and traveled throughout Europe, showing extraordinary precocity in his early work. In 1648 he attended the congress at Münster and painted portraits of the delegates that he incorporated in his celebrated group, The Peace of Münster (National Gall., London). Soon after, he was invited to Spain, where he worked for Philip IV. On returning to Holland in 1650 he painted a variety of genre scenes, capturing the individuality of each subject and portraying the life and customs of the wealthy burgher class with rare dignity and distinction. The tiny portraits and the interiors that were his specialty are painted with elegance, serenity, and a technique of consummate craftsmanship. Among his most famous pictures are Self-Portrait and The Toilet (The Hague), and The Guitar Lesson (National Gall., London). Ter Borch is also represented in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Metropolitan Museum and Frick Collection, New York City.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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