“Lady writing a letter” or “Lady writing” is a painting by Jan Vermeer , created around 1665. Currently in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington .
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| Jan Vermeer | ||
| Lady writing a letter . OK. 1665 | ||
| Schrijvend meisje | ||
| Oil on canvas . 45 × 39.9 cm | ||
| National Gallery of Art , Washington | ||
| ( inv. ) | ||
The painting depicts a woman dressed in a yellow jacket with ermine trim. Apparently, she was interrupted while writing a letter, so she carefully turned her head to find out what was happening. As in many of his works, Vermeer does not provide an explanation or reason for this view. This was the reason for a number of critical reviews, claiming that the artist’s works lacked psychological depth, but this feature is also an important component of his images [1] . Like many other Vermeer works, the heroine wears a pearl necklace and earrings. Some of the objects depicted in the picture, such as jewelry, a women's jacket and fabric on the table, are also found in other works of Vermeer. A yellow jacket with fur trim is mentioned in the register of property items drawn up after the death of the artist [1] . This led art critics to suggest that he or his family members were the owners of these objects, or even that the characters in the paintings were his relatives. It was often assumed that Vermeer sought to leave to his sitters and sitters what he could not give his wife and family - peace and prosperity [2] [3] . The painting contains a monogram of the author at the bottom of the wall, but, like most Vermeer paintings, the date is not signed. However, the style and technique of painting, as well as the female costume and hairstyle of the heroine, found in other works, allow us to attribute the work to a mature phase of the artist's work - the mid-to-late 1660s [1] .
In 1962, "The Lady Writing a Letter" was donated to the National Gallery of Art . For a year, the painting was sent to the exhibition in Pasadena (California), where it was exhibited from November 7, 2008 to February 9, 2009 [4] .
In the children's book, “Pursuit of Vermeer,” by Blue Baliet the painting was stolen on the way from the National Gallery of Art in Chicago , around which the main plot is built.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 A Lady Writing National Gallery of Art.
- ↑ A Lady Writing . National Gallery of Art.
- ↑ Bonafoux, Pascal. Vermeer - New York: Konecky & Konecky, 1992 .-- P. 118.
- ↑ Suzanne Muchnic. Vermeer takes a road trip . Los Angeles Times (November 2, 2008).