Woman at a Mirror

Gerard ter Borch (II), c. 1652

A young boy holds up a mirror for the woman in the satin gown, who gazes upward at a far more plainly dressed woman. In the 17th century, mirrors symbolized vanity and the transience of life. This painting serves as a cautionary reminder: youth and beauty are fleeting. Ter Borch’s sister, Gesina, also an artist, probably modelled for both women, and his brother Moses for the boy.

  • Artwork typepainting
  • Object numberSK-A-4039
  • Dimensionsheight 34.5 cm x width 26 cm
  • Physical characteristicsoil on panel

Identification

  • Title(s)

    Woman at a Mirror

  • Object type

  • Object number

    SK-A-4039

  • Description

    Vrouw voor een spiegel. Zittende jonge vrouw voor een jongen die een spiegel vasthoudt. Hiernaast een staande vrouw met hoofddoek. Vermoedelijk een portret van Gesina ter Borch.


Creation

  • Creation

    painter: Gerard ter Borch (II)

  • Dating

    c. 1652

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    oil on panel

  • Dimensions

    height 34.5 cm x width 26 cm


This work is about

  • Person

  • Subject


Exhibitions


Acquisition and rights

  • Credit line

    De Bruijn-van der Leeuw Bequest, Muri, Switzerland

  • Acquisition

    bequest 1961

  • Copyright

  • Provenance

    …; ? sale, Edward Coxe, (1748-1814, London), London (Peter Coxe), 23 April 1807 sqq., no. 32, (‘A Lady at her Toilette, with a female Attendant, and Boy waiting - grouped with great judgement, and finished with perfection and accuracy - the reflection in the Mirror happily accomplished’), £15 4s 6d, bought in;{Copy RKD.} ? sale, Edward Coxe et al., [section Edward Coxe], London (Mr Squibb), 13 (15) April 1815 sqq., no. 44, (‘A Lady at Her Toilet’), £16 16s [[M14]] ;{Copy RKD.} ...; ? sale, Easthoven, London (Mr Christie), 29 April 1826, no. 124, ? 22 gns (‘A Lady in a white satin dress, her back turned to the spectator, in conversation with her female attendant, while a servant boy holds a toilette glass, in which her face is pleasingly reflected; a very highly finished picture’);{Copy National Gallery, London.}...; anonymous sale, Amsterdam (J. de Vries), 19 July 1826, no. 54, (‘TERBURGH, (G.) hoog 3 p. 4 d., breed 2 p. 6 d. [34 x 26 cm] Paneel. Eene Dame in wit satijn gekleed, zittende met hare rug gekeerd naar den beschouwer, aan eene tafel, waarachter een jongeling staat, eene spiegel voor haar in de handen houdende, en waarin haar aangezigt is voorgesteld, nevens haar staat eene burgervrouw, alle ter halver lijve; […]’), fl. 260, to the dealer Jeronimo de Vries, Amsterdam;{Copy RKD.} …; anonymous sale, Rotterdam (A. Lamme), 26 April 1830, no. 68, (‘Eene Dame die haar toilet zit te maken, zeer prachtig in eene witte satijne met goud geborduurde japon gekleed, voor dezelve staat een spiegel waarin men haar gezigt ziet, verder eene kamenier en kamerjongen; […] Pan., h. 33 d. br. 24 d. [33 x 24 cm]’), fl. 280, to the dealer Lamme;{Copy RMA.}…; anonymous collection, London, 1906;{Amsterdam 1906, p. 7, no. 16.} …; collection Sir George Donaldson (1845-1925), London;{Hofstede de Groot V, 1912, p. 25, no 52.} …; ? Galerie C. Brunner, Paris, 1910, no 53, ‘Jeune dame a sa toilette, composition de trois figures, bois, H 33 x L 25 cent, Collection de M.A.L.´;{Hofstede de Groot notes, RKD.} …; purchased from the dealer Muller, Amsterdam, by Albert Lehman, Paris, through the mediation of Frits Lugt, between 1906 and 1911;{Note RMA; Paris 1911, p. 26, no. 150.} his sale, Paris (Galerie Georges Petit), 12 June 1925 sq.q, no. 289, frs. 325,000, to the dealer Féral;{Copy RMA.}…; collection R. Schumann, Paris, after 1925;{Note RMA.}…; collection Etienne Nicolas (1870-1960, Paris), 1937;{Note RMA.} from whom, fl. 38,000, to Frederik Schmidt-Degener, for Isaac de Bruijn (1872-1953), Muri near Bern, June 1937;{Note RMA.} donated to the museum by Isaäc de Bruijn and his wife, Johanna Geertruida de Bruijn-van der Leeuw (1877-1960), Spiez and Muri, near Bern, 1949, but kept in usufruct;{Note RMA.} transferred to the museum, 1961

  • Remarks

    Please note that this provenance was formulated with a special focus on provenance research for the years 1933-45 and could therefore be incomplete. There may be more (mostly earlier) provenance information known in the museum. In case this item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45, the Rijksmuseum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.


Documentation

  • J. Blanc, 'Confusion des genres. Des théories hollandaises de la ', Revue de l'Art 161 (2008) nr. 3, p. 14, afb. 8.


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