Woman Writing A Letter

Gerard ter Borch shows a woman absorbed in writing a letter, a subject he painted several times. The concentrated stillness and subtle lighting create an atmosphere of private contemplation typical of his finest work.

Letter-writing scenes were popular in Dutch Golden Age painting, suggesting romantic correspondence or business affairs. Ter Borch's version focuses on the writer's absorption rather than narrative context. This 1665 painting hangs at the Mauritshuis in The Hague.