Familie-plakboek van Gesina ter Borch c. 1660 - 1687

Editor: Here we have Gesina ter Borch’s “Family Album,” created between 1660 and 1687. It’s a collection of drawings in ink on paper. There's something incredibly intimate about a family scrapbook, even just seeing the cover. It’s a tantalizing hint of the stories within. What secrets do you think this book holds? Curator: Secrets whispered across generations, perhaps. Imagine Gesina, meticulously filling these pages with glimpses into her family's world. Each portrait, a tiny universe of Dutch Golden Age life, captured in ink. Look at the cover – worn smooth by time and countless curious fingers. It feels like holding a piece of history, doesn't it? A very tangible piece of someone’s past, wouldn't you agree? Editor: It really does. The simple design also highlights the work of art itself. It’s all about what’s inside! Curator: Exactly! And inside is so carefully crafted by her, offering an interesting blend between external formality and internal intimacy. I also love the contrast in scale. Something so relatively small opens up such a grand understanding of lives lived centuries ago. Doesn’t it make you think about your own family’s history? Editor: Definitely. It makes you consider what stories we choose to preserve, and how we present them. Thank you. I see this work in a new light. Curator: And perhaps we also see the importance of everyday life, elevated through art and love, wouldn't you say?