Portrait of Anthonie Charles de Liedekercke, his wife Willemina van Braeckel and their son Samuel

In 1637 Johannes Verspronck portrayed Antonie Charles de Liedekercke (1587-1661) and Willemina van Braeckel (1604/05-after 1661) as a prosperous couple. In 1638 their son Samuel was born. Some fifteen years later they had their portraits painted again, this time with their son.
In this portrait by Ter Borch, De Liedekercke was over sixty-five, the much younger Willemina was about fifty. Their son, who must have been about sixteen, looks delicate and fragile. Samuel enrolled as a law student at the University of Leiden on 7 May 1654, but died shortly afterwards. It is quite possible that the boy’s death was the reason for this family portrait. The closed watch Samuel’s mother holds out to him could be conceived as a reference to his death.
Ter Borch’s subdued and rather melancholy portrait contrasts sharply with the portraits that Verspronck painted. In those, the florid De Liedekercke and his wife, wearing magnificent clothes and costly jewellery, presented themselves as rich, prosperous people.
In this later portrait they are soberly dressed. Samuel’s elegant outfit, however, is much more opulent and fashionable. He wears a short open doublet, from under which emerge pink ribbons, and a long grey cloak trimmed with gold braid.