Portrait of Willem Everwijn (1613-1673)

Willem Everwijn (1613–1673) was a Deventer patrician, and ter Borch's 1653 portrait of him dates from the period just before the artist settled permanently in that city. Ter Borch was already moving between Deventer and Amsterdam at this stage, and the commission from a prominent Deventer figure suggests that his connections to the town's elite predated his formal settlement there in 1654. Everwijn's long life — he outlived this portrait by two decades — suggests a man of substance and civic importance, exactly the clientele that sustained ter Borch's later career.

The sitter is presented in a conventional male half-length format, wearing dark civic dress with a plain white collar. Ter Borch's careful modelling of the face contrasts with the broader treatment of the dark clothing. The plain background throws full emphasis onto the sitter's expression and posture.