Roker zittend aan een tafel Possibly 1653

Editor: This mixed media drawing, "Smoker Sitting at a Table," possibly from 1653, is by Gesina ter Borch and it resides in the Rijksmuseum. The combination of watercolor, ink, and pen gives the piece an intimate, almost whimsical feel, don't you think? What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: Whimsical is a perfect word for it, I feel! It whispers stories rather than shouting them. What I find so alluring is the sheer domesticity paired with a touch of the theatrical. Ter Borch presents us with a figure enjoying a simple pleasure—smoking—yet his exaggerated clothing and the flowing script above him elevates it beyond a mere genre scene. Almost as if he had dressed up for the occasion of poetry, or just for us! Tell me, what kind of narrative do you think the text and image are telling, even apart? Editor: Well, without understanding the Dutch, the script looks like maybe a poem and something that relates to our smoking fellow in costume. Maybe about the joys of relaxing, I don't know. I think its pretty funny, with the exaggerated steam from his pipe, he looks so at ease! Curator: I think you are right that is likely to be humorous. A Testament for the Ages might not only mock the pipe smoker, but mock the very notion of making art from daily life! What might the message be there? Could the humour also invite us, the viewer to not take ourselves to seriously as we gaze into this small window into another’s daily life and fun? Editor: Ah, the artist is almost winking at us across time! I really see the potential meanings here! I learned about context changing perceptions. Curator: Me too. I think she knew how to throw shade, and a party. Ter Borch does all of it!