Rijksmuseum Amsterdam acquires Sole signed Painting by Gesina Ter Borch at TEFAF

The work is a posthumous portrait of the artist’s younger brother Moses at the age of two. The artistic estate of the Ter Borch family entered the Rijksmuseum collection in 1886. It includes almost all Gesina ter Borch’s work, comprising 59 individual drawings and three albums of watercolour drawings. Portrait of Moses ter Borch as a Two Year Old was discovered at an antiques dealership in France by art dealer Dickie Zebregs from Zebregs&Röell Fine Art and Antiques, Amsterdam and Maastricht. The Rijksmuseum was able to purchase this painting at TEFAF with the support of the ‘Women of the Rijksmuseum’ Fund.

Gesina ter Borch (1631-1690) lived and worked her whole life in the Dutch city of Zwolle. Her oeuvre largely comprises watercolour drawings that are exquisite, sometimes humorous and always highly original. While it was known that the artist had also painted oils, not a single uncontested work had surfaced until now. Ter Borch held the artistic estate of her entire family in safekeeping, ensuring it remained intact. The Dutch state purchased this estate in 1886 and housed it at the Rijksmuseum.

Moses ter Borch was the apple of his family's eye, and his sister Gesina lovingly depicted him wearing a dress with a white apron, and a hat with feathers that contrast sharply with the dark background. He is carrying a drum and holding drumsticks. Next to him stands a toy horse on wheels, against which leans an orange pennant. A whip, several musical instruments and a sword are shown lying on the floor. The toys are references to his later life as a soldier. The artist inscribed the year 1647 on the portrait, but she almost certainly painted it 20 years later, following Moses’ death.

Gesina ter Borch’s albums in the Rijksmuseum collection contain several exceptional drawings by Moses ter Borch, who was also a promising artist. At the age of 19 he nonetheless joined the Dutch Navy to fight the British in the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-1667 ). He died age 22 from injuries suffered during the assault on the English coast at Harwich. The Rijksmuseum collection contains another posthumous portrait of Moses ter Borch. This work was probably the result of a collaboration between Gesina ter Borch and her brother Gerard ter Borch the Younger – the Rijksmuseum also holds multiple paintings by this artist.

Main Image :Gesina ter Borch, Portrait of Moses ter Borch as a Two Year Old, after 1667. Purchased with the support of the Women of the Rijksmuseum’ Fund