Lopende heer op een landweg Possibly 1661 - 1664

Gesina ter Borch made this watercolor, *Lopende heer op een landweg* or ‘Gentleman walking on a country road’, sometime in the 17th century. The way that watercolor sits on paper is important here. The nature of the medium itself, the way it bleeds and blends, allows ter Borch to evoke the misty atmosphere and open expanse of the Dutch landscape. It’s crucial to consider how her work differs from the oil paintings for which this period is best known. Oil paint was prized for its capacity to mimic textures and create illusions of reality. But watercolor, with its fluid spontaneity, offered something different. The medium’s transparency lends itself to capturing fleeting moments, the transience of light and weather. In ter Borch’s hands, watercolor becomes a tool for capturing not just the appearance of a scene, but also its feeling. So, while it might be tempting to see watercolor as a lesser medium compared to oil, remember its unique qualities and the way artists like ter Borch harnessed them to create works of subtle beauty and expressive power.