Artwork
The Music Lesson
The Music Lesson is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gerard ter Borch. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The scene reflects contemporary ideals of cultured femininity and the intimate, pedagogical context of private music-making among the aristocracy.
The Music Lesson depicts a woman seated at a table playing a theorbo while a young boy observes, accompanied by a small dog; the composition incorporates sheet music and a musical manuscript, symbolizing the transmission of musical knowledge and domestic refinement in 17th-century Dutch genre painting. The scene reflects contemporary ideals of cultured femininity and the intimate, pedagogical context of private music-making among the aristocracy. The artwork is part of the Art Institute of Chicago's Demidov collection, having previously belonged to Charles Yerkes and Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidov, 1st Prince of San Donato.
Technique & Style
Gerard ter Borch executed The Music Lesson in 1670 using oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 63.6 cm in height and 50.4 cm in width. As a genre scene, the painting formally depicts a woman, a man, a dog, a theorbo, and sheet music. These elements are rendered within the artist's characteristic style of domestic interior life.
History & Provenance
Gerard ter Borch created this oil on canvas painting in 1670. The work's ownership history includes possession by Charles Yerkes and Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidov, the 1st Prince of San Donato. It was formerly part of the Demidov collection before entering the holdings of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains located.
The Music Lesson is held by the Art Institute of Chicago, where it is catalogued under the inventory number 1964.1015. The work entered the museum's collection through the Demidov collection, previously owned by Charles Yerkes and Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidov, 1st Prince of San Donato.
Exhibition history includes its display in the museum's European Paintings galleries since its acquisition.
Context
Gerard ter Borch's 1670 oil painting The Music Lesson demonstrates the artist's mastery of genre scenes through its meticulous rendering of domestic interior and musical activity. The work features a woman engaged in music-making with a man and dog, utilizing a theorbo and sheet music to convey intimate scholarly exchange. As part of ter Borch's broader oeuvre focusing on everyday moments, the painting reflects 17th-century Dutch interest in musical subjects within private settings.
The piece entered the Art Institute of Chicago's collection through the Demidov family's Demidov collection, previously owned by Charles Yerkes and Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidov, 1st Prince of San Donato.
Overview
Created in 1670 by Dutch painter Gerard ter Borch, The Music Lesson is an oil painting that captures a quiet, interior scene. A man stands beside a seated woman who holds a theorbo, while a sleeping dog rests nearby. The composition is set against a darkened backdrop, emphasizing the modest lighting and the intimate atmosphere of the domestic space.
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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.
