Woman in Blue Reading a Letter

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Woman in Blue Reading a Letter of around 1663 is one of Johannes Vermeer's best-loved paintings. It is a simple scene. A young woman flanked by two chairs and a table is reading a letter, deep in utter concentration. One immediately thinks that it was written by her sweetheart, but Vermeer isn't saying.This intimate picture looks very natural and lifelike, but in fact it is very cleverly composed. Defining the rectangular areas and lines are in perfect balance. The light is suggested with delicate tints, and the shadows have a pale blue tinge. Look closely and you will see that the entire scene is constructed with subtle, melting contours.The hushed mood, the painstaking composition, the modulating blues, the suggestion of light—all these aspects make Woman in Blue Reading a Letter one of the great masterpieces of painting.