Getting started with the collection:
The Love Letter
Johannes Vermeer, c. 1669 - c. 1670
Vermeer chose an unusual vantage point for this painting. From a dim space in the foreground, a glimpse is afforded of another room with a domestic scene. An elegantly dressed woman looks up expectantly at a maidservant, who has just handed her a letter. The seascape on the wall behind them may well allude to the epistle’s subject: during the 17th century, the sea was often compared to love, and the lover to a ship.
- Artwork typepainting
- Object numberSK-A-1595
- Dimensionsheight 44 cm x width 38.5 cm, height 68.5 cm x width 62.5 cm x thickness 7 cm, weight 9 kg
- Physical characteristicsoil on canvas