Artwork
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gerard ter Borch. It dates from 1659 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition highlights the sitter's individuality, inviting interpretation of her identity and social role without overt narrative cues.
The painting shows a woman depicted in a three-quarter view, her posture and attire suggesting refinement and quiet dignity. Her direct gaze engages the viewer, while the soft lighting and delicate rendering of fabric emphasize a sense of intimate presence. The work functions as both a likeness and a meditation on feminine poise within the Dutch Golden Age portrait tradition.
Symbolic elements are restrained, focusing on the subject's dignified bearing rather than allegorical attributes. The composition highlights the sitter's individuality, inviting interpretation of her identity and social role without overt narrative cues.
The painting is housed at the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains part of the museum's collection of Dutch masters.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 625 cm in height by 470 cm in width, depicting a woman. It belongs to the portrait genre and was created by Gerard ter Borch, who employed oil paint as his medium. The painting is housed in the Statens Museum for Kunst collection.
History & Provenance
The work titled Portrait of a Lady was created by Gerard ter Borch as an oil painting on canvas. It measures 625.0 cm in height and 470.0 cm in width and depicts a woman. The work belongs to the portrait genre and was produced within the artistic practice of the Dutch painter.
It is part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst where it is catalogued under the identifier SMK, KMSsp418. The painting’s creation history is documented through its attribution to ter Borch and its inclusion in the museum’s holdings.
Portrait of a Lady is an oil paint portrait held at the Statens Museum for Kunst under inventory KMSsp418. It has been exhibited in the museum's collection displays but has no recorded external exhibition history. The work measures 625.0 cm in height and 470.0 cm in width.
Overview
Created circa 1659, this oil portrait by Dutch painter Gerard ter Borch depicts a seated woman in a modest dark gown accented by a white ruff. The figure occupies the foreground of a sparsely illuminated interior, her hands gently pressed together. The work is part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, representing ter Borch’s foray into portraiture beyond his more familiar genre scenes.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Gerard ter Borch (Dutch:; December 1617 – 8 December 1681), also known as Gerard Terburg (Dutch: ), was a Dutch Golden Age painter mainly of genre subjects.
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