Heer en dame elkaar begroetend voor een landhuis c. 1643 - 1687

Gesina ter Borch created this drawing of a man and woman greeting each other in front of a country house using pen in brown ink. It seems ter Borch was interested in codes of social conduct. The meeting of a man and a woman in front of what appears to be her home suggests a moment laden with social implications. The presence of a well, a dog, and the suggestion of a town in the distance all add to the sense of a specific time and place, likely the Netherlands. Ter Borch, working in the 17th century, would have been keenly aware of the social expectations placed on women, particularly concerning courtship and marriage. To understand this work more fully, one might delve into conduct books of the period, or examine the history of Dutch social customs. Ter Borch's drawing invites us to consider the subtle negotiations of power and status that play out in everyday interactions.