The Love Letter
c. 1669 - c. 1670
Vermeer acts as a voyeur here, framing the scene through a dark doorway so we feel like we're eavesdropping on a private moment. A lady in a luxurious yellow satin dress has just stopped playing her lute because her maid has arrived with a letter—and judging by the maid's cheeky grin, it’s definitely a love note. The messy foreground, complete with a broom and discarded slippers, adds a touch of realism to this quiet, sunlit drama of 17th-century Dutch courtship.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
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