The Music Lesson
Artist: Gerard ter Borch, the younger (Dutch, 1617-1681)
Date: 1660s
Dimensions:
H: 34 in. (86.3 cm); W: 27 5/8 in. (70.1 cm)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1952.9
DescriptionGerard ter Borch
Dutch, 1617–1681
The Music Lesson
Oil on canvas, 1660s
Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1952.9
Flirtation in the form of bold eye contact sets the mood of this intimate painting of music-making in a Dutch middle class interior. Music has long been associated with love, and the lute in particular could symbolize marital harmony, hearts “in tune” with one another, or even lust. The bright finery of the young couple tells us they are not married, since married couples typically wore darker, more sober clothing. They have eyes only for each other, while the standing man (often identified as a music teacher) seems more intent on observing the dashing young man’s proficiency at the lute than in noticing his amorous intentions toward the young woman. She rests her foot on a foot warmer containing a brazier of hot coals, an object often associated with female lustfulness or with courtship rituals. Typical of Gerard ter Borch’s paintings, however, the scene is quiet and somewhat ambiguous, rather than bawdy.
Ter Borch always paid close attention to sumptuous texture in his paintings. He was particularly revered by contemporaries for his ability to depict satin, like the shimmering folds of the woman’s skirt.
Dutch, 1617–1681
The Music Lesson
Oil on canvas, 1660s
Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1952.9
Flirtation in the form of bold eye contact sets the mood of this intimate painting of music-making in a Dutch middle class interior. Music has long been associated with love, and the lute in particular could symbolize marital harmony, hearts “in tune” with one another, or even lust. The bright finery of the young couple tells us they are not married, since married couples typically wore darker, more sober clothing. They have eyes only for each other, while the standing man (often identified as a music teacher) seems more intent on observing the dashing young man’s proficiency at the lute than in noticing his amorous intentions toward the young woman. She rests her foot on a foot warmer containing a brazier of hot coals, an object often associated with female lustfulness or with courtship rituals. Typical of Gerard ter Borch’s paintings, however, the scene is quiet and somewhat ambiguous, rather than bawdy.
Ter Borch always paid close attention to sumptuous texture in his paintings. He was particularly revered by contemporaries for his ability to depict satin, like the shimmering folds of the woman’s skirt.
On view
In Collection(s)