A Lady Writing

Johannes Vermeer executed this intimate scene around 1665, showing a young woman pausing from writing a letter to glance at the viewer. She wears a lemon-yellow morning jacket trimmed with ermine, pearls adorning her hair and ears. Light from an unseen window illuminates her face and the richly appointed desk.

The painting exemplifies Vermeer's mature style, with its careful attention to light and texture. A monogram signature appears on the lower frame of a picture visible on the back wall. The subject of letter-writing recurs throughout Vermeer's work, reflecting the importance of correspondence in Dutch Golden Age society. The painting now hangs at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.