The Letter (Vermeer)
ArtistJohannes Vermeer
Year1666
MediumOil on canvas
LocationRijksmuseum, Amsterdam
About The Letter (Vermeer)
A maid hands her mistress a sealed letter. The woman was playing a lute, symbol of romantic longing. The painting on the wall shows ships at sea, symbolizing the absent lover. Vermeer captures the moment of anticipation.
Related Artworks
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Called the Mona Lisa of the North. Not a portrait but a tronie, a study of expression. The pearl is ...
The Milkmaid
Vermeer used expensive ultramarine pigment for the apron, made from lapis lazuli. The bread and milk...
The Music Lesson
One of Vermeers most carefully constructed interiors. The mirror above the virginal reflects the you...
View of Delft
Proust was so moved by this painting he wrote a scene about it. The city is seen across a harbor on ...