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Vermeer's genre scenes have a remarkable sense of privacy. The viewer often feels as though he has been allowed to share discreetly in moments of people's lives unfolding in the intimacy of their homes. Here, Vermeer provides a quiet space in the corner of a rom behind a rug-draped table for the young woman to read her letter. Light from the open window glows radiantly on her head and shoulders as she intently follows her letter's words. Seen in strict profile, she is unaware that her emotional response is dimly reflected in the windowpanes before her.
Excerpt taken from
Vermeer: The Complete Works
by Arthur K. Wheelock Jr |
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