Boerenerf te Zwolle c. 1631 - 1633

Gerard ter Borch the Younger made this drawing, “Boerenerf te Zwolle,” or “Farmyard at Zwolle,” with pen in the Dutch Republic. Through his depiction of this humble farmyard, we can consider the social and economic structure of the Netherlands in the 17th century. Ter Borch shows us the everyday life of the rural poor. The buildings are simple, the fences are ramshackle, and the yard is bare. Ter Borch presents us with a scene that is far from the grandeur of the cities or the wealth of the merchant class. But the image is not without dignity: we are shown the quiet, hard-working existence of rural Dutch life. Like other Dutch Golden Age artists, Ter Borch made a career selling genre scenes to the urban middle class. Images of the countryside became a popular form of entertainment for those living in cities. By looking closely at such drawings and paintings, consulting historical documents, and considering the artist’s place in Dutch society, we can learn much about the intersection of town and country during this period.