The Gallant Conversation, known as Paternal Admonition

Ter Borch's so-called Paternal Admonition from around 1654, in the Rijksmuseum, is one of the most debated paintings in Dutch art—the scene of a standing man addressing a young woman in satin, with an older woman present, has been interpreted variously as a father's moral instruction, a scene in a brothel, or a military man bidding farewell to his sweetheart. Goethe's famous interpretation of the scene as a father's warning to his daughter gave the painting its traditional title, but the ambiguity is central to ter Borch's art.

The painting is a tour de force of satin painting—the standing woman's white satin dress, seen from behind, is rendered with such luminous brilliance that it became the most famous passage of fabric painting in Dutch art. Ter Borch's technique builds the shimmering surface through layers of white, gray, and warm reflected tones.