Student Artwork Guide — La Leçon de lecture

Name Class Date

Gerard ter Borch, La Leçon de lecture. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist: Gerard ter Borch originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/gerard-ter-borch/
Artist’s dates: 1617 – 1681
Movement: Dutch Golden Age Seventeenth-century Dutch painting of everyday rooms, seas and citizens, bought by merchants rather than kings.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Gerard ter Borch died in 1681; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1751.

La Leçon de lecture — Gerard ter Borch

When might this have been painted?

1610
1620
1630
1640
1650
1660
1670
1680

02
312
1322
2332
3342
4352
5362
6364

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 64 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Gerard ter Borch (1617–1681) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1654 Main working years: 1654–1665 Late works: from 1665

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Young Woman at Her Toilet with a Maid, 1650 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/gerard-ter-borch-young-woman-at-her-toilet-with-a-maid-8Y3JKJ-en/
The Concert, 1675 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/gerard-ter-borch-the-concert-8Y2AL5-en/
The Music Lesson originaluniqueart.com/en/art/gerard-ter-borch-the-music-lesson-8Y3JJY-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/gerard-ter-borch-la-lecon-de-lecture-8BWQKA-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Espresso #313029

Catalogued palette

#313029
#876953
#C7B290
#484039

These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

Palette: Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: Espresso
Intensity: Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Serene How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Balanced Harmony How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Where in the world is this painting looked at?

under 1%
1–3%
3–8%
8–20%
20% and over

This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Gerard ter Borch over the last twelve months — 9 countries in all. Where these figures come from

The ten leading countries

1 China 67.2%
2 United States of America 11.5%
3 Hong Kong 4.9%
4 Singapore 4.9%
5 Canada 3.3%
6 Réunion 3.3%
7 Belgium 1.6%
8 Brazil 1.6%
9 United Kingdom 1.6%

Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

The 20 most looked-at works by Gerard ter Borch

1 The Letter, 1665 9.2%
2 LE DUO CHANTEUSE ET JOUEUR DE LUTH THEORBE 6.6%
3 The Glass of Lemonade, 1655 3.9%
4 Man Offering a Woman Coins, 1662 3.9%
5 A Lady Reading a Letter, 1662 3.9%
6 Lady at her Toilette, 1660 3.9%
7 Portrait of a Young Man, 1670 3.9%
8 The Dancing Couple, 1660 2.6%
9 Woman Playing the Theorbo-Lute and a Cavalier, 1658 2.6%
10 The Glass of Lemonade, 1660 2.6%
11 A Woman Playing the Theorbo-Lute 2.6%
12 The Concert, 1657 2.6%
13 The Violinist, 1665 2.6%
14 A Concert, 1675 2.6%
15 The Reading Lesson 2.6%
16 The Visit 2.6%
17 The Van Moerkerken Family, 1653 2.6%
18 Burgomaster Jan van Duren, 1666 2.6%
19 The music lesson, 1670 2.6%
21 La Leçon de lecture this painting 2.6%

Together these works take 69.1% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 127 works by this artist, of which 42 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 21 of them, with 2.6% of that attention. The same counts, month by month

Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

Artist

Gerard ter Borch

Born in Zwolle, Netherlands

a pioneer of dutch genre painting

gerard ter borch, a prominent figure in the dutch golden age, left an indelible mark on the art world with his genre paintings. born in december 1617 and passing away on december 8, 1681, ter borch's life was a testament to his artistic prowess.

early life and influences

ter borch's early life is not well-documented, but it is known that he traveled extensively throughout europe, including london, germany, france, spain, and italy. this exposure broadened his artistic horizons, influencing his unique style. his sister, gesina ter borch, also pursued a career in painting, further solidifying the family's artistic inclinations.

notable works and achievements

- *the letter: a masterpiece showcasing ter borch's skill in capturing texture and light. - the gallant conversation: engraved by johann georg wille, this piece exemplifies the artist's ability to convey nuanced emotions. - man on horseback (1634): an early work demonstrating ter borch's emerging talent. - adrian pauw's arrival in münster (1646)*: a significant piece that highlights the artist's narrative capabilities.

museums and collections featuring ter borch's work

- the hermitage: with six of his works, it boasts one of the largest collections. - berlin museum: features six pieces, showcasing ter borch's international appeal. - getty center: three of his paintings are part of this esteemed collection.

legacy and impact

ter borch's influence on dutch painters like gabriel metsu, gerrit dou, eglon van der neer, and johannes vermeer is well-documented. his innovative approach to genre painting has made him a pivotal figure in the history of art.

for more on ter borch's life and works, visit https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/gerard-ter-borch

explore the museum boijmans van beuningen rotterdam, netherlands, featuring some of ter borch's contemporaries at https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@@/a@d3arrk-museum-boijmans-van-beuningen-rotterdam-netherlands

learn more about the dutch golden age and its notable artists at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dutch_golden_age

*conclusion:* gerard ter borch's enduring legacy is a testament to his innovative approach to genre painting, influencing generations of artists and cementing his place in the annals of art history.

Where to read more

The artist Gerard ter Borch originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/gerard-ter-borch/
Similar works More works to compare originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/gerard-ter-borch-la-lecon-de-lecture-8BWQKA-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for La Leçon de lecture

originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/gerard-ter-borch-la-lecon-de-lecture-8BWQKA-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Borch, Gerard ter. La Leçon de lecture. n.d., https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/gerard-ter-borch-la-lecon-de-lecture-8BWQKA-en/
APA: Borch, Gerard ter (n.d.). La Leçon de lecture [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/gerard-ter-borch-la-lecon-de-lecture-8BWQKA-en/
Chicago: Gerard ter Borch. La Leçon de lecture. n.d. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/gerard-ter-borch-la-lecon-de-lecture-8BWQKA-en/
Harvard: Borch, Gerard ter (n.d.) La Leçon de lecture. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/gerard-ter-borch-la-lecon-de-lecture-8BWQKA-en/

La Leçon de lecture — Gerard ter Borch

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Our catalogue files this work under: women. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
Look back at Young Woman at Her Toilet with a Maid (1650), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Dutch Golden Age: Seventeenth-century Dutch painting of everyday rooms, seas and citizens, bought by merchants rather than kings. Where can you see that in this work?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

Questions & Answers

Is there a slideshow for "La Leçon de lecture" by Gerard ter Borch?

"La Leçon de lecture" by Gerard ter Borch can be viewed as a slideshow on the artwork's Diaporama page.

What color intensity does "La Leçon de lecture" by Gerard ter Borch have?

"La Leçon de lecture" by Gerard ter Borch shows a monochromatic color intensity.

What color leads the composition of "La Leçon de lecture" by Gerard ter Borch?

espresso (#313029) is the leading color of "La Leçon de lecture" by Gerard ter Borch.