Gerard ter Borch

Gerard ter Borch painted the quiet drama of Dutch domestic life: a woman reading a letter, a suitor’s visit, a musical gathering, a young woman in a shimmering satin gown seen from behind. Few painters have rendered satin so well. His scenes are small, restrained and full of unspoken tension, and they influenced Vermeer.

Born in Zwolle in 1617, he trained in Amsterdam and Haarlem and travelled widely as a young man, to London, Germany, France, Spain and Italy, and was knighted by Philip IV in Madrid. In 1648 he painted The Ratification of the Treaty of Münster, a small group portrait on copper of the diplomats who ended the Dutch war with Spain. He settled in Deventer, where he served on the town council until his death in 1681. His Gallant Conversation is in the Rijksmuseum.

A Boy Ridding His Dog of Fleas is a fine example of his gift for small, ordinary moments.