Helena van der Schalcke c. 1648

Gerard ter Borch painted ‘Helena van der Schalcke’ on wood, sometime in the mid-seventeenth century. The young girl, centred in the composition, gazes directly at us, positioned against a dark, undefined space that isolates her figure. The painting strikes a delicate balance between meticulous detail and subtle tonal variations. Borch masterfully uses light to define the form and texture of Helena’s dress. Notice how the fall of light articulates the folds and drapes of the fabric, creating a sense of volume and depth. This focus on materiality is further emphasized by the contrasting textures of her woven bag and smooth skin. The artist’s approach mirrors the broader concerns of Dutch Golden Age painting, specifically its fascination with capturing the material world with utmost fidelity. Consider the ways the formal elements – the interplay of light and shadow, the textures, the colour – serve not just to represent, but to embody a world of surfaces and appearances. It invites ongoing interpretation about representation and reality.