A Lady Writing a Letter

Letter writer in Yellow ( Original title: Schrijvend meisje ) is a painting by Jan Vermeer, written 1665-1670. The 45 centimeters high and 39.9 inches wide painted with oil on canvas picture shows a yellow dressed young woman writing a letter. The painting belongs to the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, where it is accessible to the public. It was donated in 1962 by Harry Waldron Havemeyer and Horace Havemeyer and bears the inventory number. 01/10/1962

Image description

In the center of the picture is a young woman who is looking at the viewer directly while smiling. She wears a short jacket made ​​of yellow satin trimmed with fur and beads on the ears. Furthermore, loops are tied into her hair. In the hand the woman holds a goose quill, but does not write the captured moment. Contents of the letter and spirit of the woman can not be derived for the viewer of the image, as Vermeer did not use relevant attributes. The foreground and background are in the dark, the central portion of the space in the light. So Jan Vermeer produced a particular spatial depth. The lying on the table pearl necklace, the cushion of the chair nails, jewelry box and inkwell shine in the sunlight.

The simple composition may Vermeer other images have taken as the letter writer by Gerard ter Borch A woman and lined up pearls on by Frans van Mieris. The subject is the representation of a woman in an everyday employment is quite often represented in Vermeer work. The motif of letter writing woman was in the Netherlands of the 17th century at all a popular image object.

Because of the individualized facial features of the woman, it is assumed that the illustrated wife Catharina Bolnes, wife Vermeer is, to some extent. However, this can not clearly prove.

Provenance

Probably the letter writer a writing woman on the Dissius auction in 1696 was auctioned in yellow below the title. As a result, the picture changed hands again and was repeatedly auctioned. Between 1946 and 1956, the picture in the possession of Horace Havemeyer was. After his death it came into Harry Waldron Havemeyer and Horace Havemeyer Jr., the letter writer in yellow 1962, the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC gave.