Portrait of a Woman
1665
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1665
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a woman in a fancy black-and-white dress, her hands folded quietly. The fabric looks so real you want to touch it—shiny satin, delicate lace, and tiny ribbons. Ter Borch was famous for making satin glow. He’d paint a stroke, then wipe some away, leaving just enough to catch the light. The rest of the painting is simple, so your eye stays on her dress and face. If you like how he painted fabric, look up sfumato—a technique that softens edges, like smoke.
