Paintings from the Detroit Institute of Arts’ Collection

The Detroit Institute of Arts has one of the largest and most notable collections of 17th-century Dutch paintings in the United States. Not only is this apparent in the two DIA pieces in Gerard ter Borch, but also in the small display of Dutch masterpieces in the last gallery of the exhibition. The exhibition will be supplemented with six pieces from the museum’s collection, from the renowned The Visitation by Rembrandt van Rijn to the recent acquisition of a Tulip Vase, attributed to Adriaen Kocx. The origins of this distinguished collection date back to the late 1800s with a gift from James E. Scripps. It was shaped and refined by William Valentiner, DIA director from 1924 to 1945, and is still aggressively growing. Lady at Her Toilette and Young Man Reading a Letter were acquired over 40 years apart and are both excellent testaments to the DIA’s dedication to the “Golden Age” of Dutch painting

Lady at Her Toilette
Lady at Her Toilette was purchased by the DIA in 1965, with a distinguished provenance including hanging in the galerie Napoléon of the Louvre in Paris. It is ranked among the finest of all Dutch genre paintings in American collections, receiving accolades for being Ter Borch’s best example of his master craft—satin fabric rendering. Lady at Her Toilette is thought to be one of Ter Borch’s most provocative works due to his tendency to incorporate symbolism into his paintings. Some historians nicknamed Ter Borch the master psychologist of Dutch painting because of this quality. Elements of the DIA’s piece, such as the ring the woman is playing with on her finger, the snuffed candle and the dog in the background were meant to provide psychological insights into the figures’ daily lives. As with many of Ter Borch’s genres scenes, the meaning is ambiguous, though art historians have interpreted the painting to be a vain, wealthy woman questioning faithfulness in love.

Young Man Reading a Letter
Between 1655 and 1675, after Ter Borch settled in Deventer, he painted more than a dozen works that involved reading, writing, dictating, sending and receiving letters. The popularity of these themes grew in the late 1600s, and were replicated by artists such as Johannes Vermeer. This painting, which may have been Ter Borch’s last genre scene, demonstrates that Ter Borch never lost the ability to portray the faces of younger generations with sympathy and understanding. Young Man Reading a Letter is one of Ter Borch’s most subtle and intimate interpretations of this subject matter. The painting shows Ter Borch’s extraordinary gift of capturing slight expressions, which is evident in the subject’s downcast eyes, faint smirk and strong hold on the paper. Paintings of Dutch letter-writing were sometimes created in pairs and other works in this exhibition such as Women Sealing a Letter would have been a likely counterpart.

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Image Details: Lady at Her Toilette, ca. 1660; Oil on canvas. The Detroit Institute of Arts, Founders Society Purchase, Eleanor Clay Ford Fund, General Membership Fund, Endowment Income Fund and Special Activities Fund. Photo: ©1995 The Detroit Institute of Arts. (top)

Young Man Reading a Letter, ca. 1680; Oil on panel. The Detroit Institute of Arts. City of Detroit Purchase. (bottom)


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