One of the most important and beloved artists of the seventeenth century, Gerard ter Borch (1617–1681) is best known today for his paintings of elegant interior encounters among upper-class members of Dutch society. His oeuvre, however, is broad, covering portraiture, landscape, history painting, and a wide range of genre subjects including guardroom and merry company scenes.

Ter Borch is renowned for his ability to render the varied textures of luxurious fabrics such as silk, satin, lace, and leather—a skill at which he was unsurpassed. His genre paintings follow common themes and compositions of his time—letter writing, discreet encounters between men and women, and family interactions, among other subjects—yet he is unique among his contemporaries for his psychological insight into the drama of the encounters he depicted, capturing with exceptional sensitivity the inner life of his subjects.

This landmark exhibition included approximately fifty paintings selected by Guest Curator Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., Curator of Northern Baroque Paintings at the National Gallery of Art. Gerard ter Borch was the first exhibition of Ter Borch’s work in this country and gave a broad overview of his oeuvre. It was accompanied by the first major English-language publication on Ter Borch, with contributions by the guest curator; Alison M. Kettering, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Art History at Carleton College; Arie Wallert, Curator of Paintings at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; and Marjorie Wieseman, Curator of European Painting and Sculpture at the Cincinnati Art Museum.

Exhibition Itinerary: The National Gallery of Art (November 7, 2004–January 30, 2005) and the Detroit Institute of Arts (February 27–May 22, 2005).