Johannes Vermeer
Enjoying a quiet, private moment, this young woman is absorbed in reading a letter in the morning light. She is still wearing her blue night jacket. All of the colors in the composition are secondary to its radiant lapis lazuli blue. Vermeer recorded the effects of light with extraordinary precision. Particularly innovative is his rendering of the woman’s skin with pale grey, and the shadows on the wall using light blue.
While the contents of the letter are not visible, the composition of the painting is revealing. The map of the County of Holland and West Friesland in the Netherlands on the wall behind the woman has been interpreted as suggesting that the letter she reads was written by a traveling husband. Alternatively, the box of pearls barely visible on the table before the woman might suggest a lover as pearls are sometimes a symbol of vanity.
We present today's work thanks to the Rijksmuseum, which now organizes the art event of the year: a vast Vermeer exhibition, with most of Vermeer's paintings together from all over the world. You can visit it until June 4th, 2023, in Amsterdam!
P.S. Here's more on Vermeer as you’ve never seen before at the Rijksmuseum. Also, if you have ever wondered why Vermeer's paintings are so loved and wanted, the part of the secret might be Maria de Knuijt. Was Vermeer’s main patron a woman? Check it out here.