With A. Preyer, The Hague;
With F. Kleinberger, Paris;
With Julius Böhler, Munich, until 1912;
By whom sold to V. G. Fischer Art Galleries, New York;
By whom sold to Martin A. Ryerson, Chicago, 1916;
By whom bequeathed to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1933 (Acc. no. 1933.1097). 

C. Hofstede de Groot, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch Painters of the Seventeenth Century Based on the Work of John Smith, vol. 5, London 1913, pp. 102, 124, cat. nos. 329 and 406;
S. J. Gudlaugsson, Gerard ter Borch, The Hague, 1959, p. 138, reproduced, fig. 160 (1933.1097); vol. 2, p. 167, cat. nos. 160 and B6 (Portrait of a Lady as a studio work);
Art Institute of Chicago, Paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago.  A Catalogue of the Collection, Chicago 1961, p. 446.

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This pair of paintings has been lined with wax as an adhesive. This method of lining is easily reversible, which would be to these pictures' advantage. There is a very waxy finish to both pictures as well, which would be corrected if the works were cleaned. The linen on which they are painted is very fine, particularly in the figure of the man, and it can be seen that this fine weave has become more visible in the darker colors of the clothing and background. In the figure in the woman, cracking has developed throughout and there is thinness in her black dress and in the background, particularly in the lower right. Both of these pictures do not look their best at present, and although they are thin from previous cleaning, they will improve notably if their restoration were re-examined.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

In his 1959 catalogue on Ter Borch (see Literature), Gudlaugsson identifies the Portrait of a Man as an autograph work by Ter Borch, while reserving judgement on its pendant. Within Ter Borch's oeuvre, the pair typifies the type of work which he was executing for the Deventer elite from the late 1650's through the early 1670's. They are characterized by their small scale, simple backgrounds, and full length presentation. Later in this period, Ter Borch began to introduce domestic objects into his compositions, such as fabric lined chairs, to suggest a more realistic setting (see lot 32). 

The Portrait of a Woman follows almost exactly the pose and dress of a portrait by Ter Borch in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich (circa 1660).¹ Furthermore, the anonymous gentleman depicted here is reminiscent of Ter Borch's Portrait of a Young Man (circa 1662) in the Louvre, as both subjects wear the same type of understockings, though in the present version they are colored red, as opposed to black in the Louvre picture.² 

1. See Literature, Gudlaugsson 1959, cat. no. 159.
2. Ibid, cat. no. 183.