Woman reading a letter

Original: oil on canvas 39 x 46,5 cm bxh
Date: 1663

The painting Woman Reading a Letter by Johannes Vermeer shows a young woman reading a letter, standing amidst the furniture of an old Dutch house. The light implies a window to her left, outside the painting. The absence of ceiling, floor and corners creates an independent world. This composition is unique among Vermeer's interiors. The back wall looks more like a blue sky than the wall he usually painted.

In the Woman Reading a Letter, light and shadow play a major role. The shadows of the card and the chair are present, but those of the woman are missing. This makes the woman stand out from the background.

For more Vermeer paintings and information on the life and work of Johannes Vermeer, please visit his painting page

The painting belongs to the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

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