Bed en een lijk in een kist c. 1653

Gesina ter Borch created this small drawing, "Bed en een lijk in een kist," or "Bed and a Corpse in a Coffin," using pen and ink. Ter Borch was working in the Dutch Golden Age, a time of both immense cultural flourishing and strict social norms, especially for women. This image is a powerful meditation on mortality and domesticity. The bed, a symbol of both comfort and vulnerability, sits alongside the stark reality of death. Notice how the artist's rendering of the corpse emphasizes its stillness and isolation. Ter Borch, as a woman artist, often focused on themes of family, life, and death. In a patriarchal society, where women's roles were confined to the domestic sphere, she found a space to explore these profound themes. The drawing serves as a reminder of the transience of life. It invites us to reflect on our own mortality and the human connections that sustain us. It also subtly challenges the traditional representations of women in art by presenting a female perspective on these universal themes.