Woman Reading a Letter, A girl in a blue shirt and grey dress reads a letter., c. 1663
Scope and Contents
Vanderbilt photo identifier: SC.MSS.088.DUTC.0672; Public Notes: From the Rijksmuseum: 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 colours 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.
Dates
- Creation: c. 1663
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
This collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Special Collections in the Jean and Alexander Heard Library. Collections should be requested 2-3 days prior to visiting in order to facilitate easier access. For questions or to request a collection, contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu.
Biographical / Historical
Subjects: tapestries; letters; dresses; hairbands; School: Dutch; Style period: Baroque; Work type: paintings
Full Extent
1 Items : Image Work Type: photographic print ; Image height (in.): 8.2; Image width (in.): 6.6in.
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Physical Description
Medium: oil paint; Physical condition: stained; Print type: color; Support: canvas
General
Artist Nationality: Dutch; Artist Status: confirmed; Inscription translation text type:
Source
- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands (Repository, Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives Repository
Special Collections Library
1101 19th Ave. S.
Nashville TN 37212 United States
specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu
About this Site
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