Twee paartjes lopend naast een kanaal c. 1661 - 1669

Gesina ter Borch created this red chalk drawing, “Two Couples Walking by a Canal,” sometime in the mid-17th century. The scene offers us a glimpse into the social life of the Dutch Golden Age, a period marked by economic prosperity and cultural flourishing in the Netherlands. Ter Borch, unusually for the time, was a female artist working within a family of artists. This gives us the opportunity to think about the institutional position of women artists. The couples depicted are dressed in the fashion of the time, suggesting a degree of affluence. Leisure activities like strolling along canals were becoming increasingly popular among the middle classes. Notice how the artist captures the subtle nuances of social interaction through body language and attire. To understand this drawing better, we can consult sources like fashion history, social commentaries, and biographical accounts. By examining these resources, we gain insight into the intricate web of social relations, artistic practices, and cultural values that shaped artistic production in the 17th-century Netherlands.