Artwork
The Music Lesson
The Music Lesson is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Studio of Gerard ter Borch the Younger. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The oil painting depicts a domestic interior where a young woman in a white dress sits on the floor, cradling a lute and gazing downward.
About this work
Technique & Style
1 cm in width, earlier scholarly records note a variant of the composition measuring 63.
The work is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. While the National Gallery of Art lists the dimensions as 69 cm in height and 55.1 cm in width, earlier scholarly records note a variant of the composition measuring 63.5 x 49.5 cm. Classified as a genre scene, the painting dates to 1670 and is attributed to an unknown artist, though some sources associate it with Gerard ter Borch the Younger. The physical object remains a painted canvas depicting a domestic music lesson.
History & Provenance
The Music Lesson is dated 1670 and is painted in oil on canvas. Its early provenance is uncertain, though the art historian Sturla J. Gudlaugsson suggested in 1959–1960 that it may be identical with a music-lesson composition sold at auction in Rotterdam on 3 August 1811; however, the dimensions of that work were somewhat smaller than those of the National Gallery of Art canvas, leaving the identification open.
By 1929 the painting was in the possession of the Van Diemen gallery, with branches in Berlin and New York. When the Berlin branches and their affiliated galleries were liquidated by order of the Nazis in 1935, the work was not included in the Graupe-organized sales of 25 January and 26 April, indicating that it had already been transferred to or sold from the New York branch before that date.
The painting subsequently entered the collection of William R. Timken (1866–1949) in New York, passing by inheritance to his wife, Lillian S. Guyer Timken (1881–1959). She bequeathed it in 1960 to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains.
The Music Lesson is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It entered the museum through a bequest in 1960 from Lillian S. Guyer Timken, the widow of William R. Timken, who had acquired the work and previously owned it through his inheritance from his wife. Prior to its acquisition by the Timkens, the painting was associated with the Berlin branch of the Van Diemen gallery, which was liquidated by the Nazis in 1935; the work was not part of those sales and had been sent to the New York branch before that date. The painting's dimensions are 69 cm in height and 55.1 cm in width, as recorded in its cataloging data.
The work has not been documented in major public exhibitions beyond its inclusion in the National Gallery of Art's holdings, and no exhibition history beyond its acquisition is noted in the provided sources.
Overview
The oil painting depicts a domestic interior where a young woman in a white dress sits on the floor, cradling a lute and gazing downward. A man in a dark coat and a wide-brimmed hat stands behind her, directing attention to a small mirror placed on a nearby table. The composition is enclosed by dimly lit walls, creating an intimate atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The work suggests a private music lesson, with the male figure appearing to instruct the female student either in playing the instrument or in proper posture. The mirror, reflecting the woman's face, may symbolize self‑examination or the transmission of knowledge, while the surrounding objects, a book, a candle, and assorted items, reinforce the scholarly and contemplative tone of the scene.
Context
Rendered in oil on canvas, the painting reflects a period interest in domestic genre scenes that combine everyday activity with moral or instructional undertones. The inclusion of musical instruments, books, and reflective surfaces aligns with contemporary depictions of cultured leisure and the pedagogical role of music in private households.
Artist & collection
