Artwork
A Female Guitar Player and a Flute Player
A Female Guitar Player and a Flute Player 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
Overview
Gerard ter Borch, a Dutch painter of the mid‑17th century, produced the oil work *A Female Guitar Player and a Flute Player* around 1659. The canvas presents a quiet interior scene in which two women are occupied with music, accompanied by a small dog. The painting belongs to the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows one woman kneeling with a large lute—often identified as a theorbo—while a second figure stands, playing a flute. Both are dressed in modest, flowing garments, emphasizing the domestic nature of the activity. The presence of sheet music and the attentive posture of the figures suggest a private, perhaps instructional, musical moment.
Technique & Style
Ter Borch employs a restrained palette and careful modeling of light to create a chiaroscuro effect. Illuminated areas highlight the faces, hands, and instrument surfaces, while surrounding shadows recede, guiding the viewer’s focus toward the act of making music. The subtle rendering of textures, from fabric to fur, reflects his meticulous approach to genre painting.
History & Provenance
Created in the later phase of Ter Borch’s career, the painting entered the Statens Museum for Kunst’s holdings in the early 20th century, though earlier ownership records are sparse. Its attribution to Ter Borch has been supported by stylistic comparison with his other domestic scenes and documented signatures dating from the 1650s.
Context
Ter Borch’s intimate genre scenes, characterized by psychological nuance and domestic detail, were influential among his contemporaries, notably Johannes Vermeer. This work exemplifies the artist’s interest in everyday moments rendered with refined observation, contributing to the broader Dutch Golden Age tradition of portraying private life with quiet dignity.
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.
