 The Gallant Conversation

The Gallant Conversation is an oil-on-canvas painting from circa 1654 by Gerard ter Borch (the Younger).A late 18th century French print of the work is titled The Paternal Admonition, apparently believing it showed a father reprimanding his daughter, but modern art historians see it as a conversation between two prospective lovers, either a discussion of a betrothal or, more likely, a customer propositioning a prostitute in a brothel.