Mistress and Maid

Johannes Vermeer painted this scene around 1667, depicting an elegant woman and her maid examining a letter just received. The mistress wears a yellow fur-lined jacket, one of Vermeer's favorite garments that appears in several paintings. Light from the left illuminates her face as she lifts her fingertips to her chin in a questioning gesture, lips slightly parted.

Technical examination in 2017 revealed that Vermeer originally included a detailed pictorial element in the background with at least four figures, likely a large tapestry or painting. He later decided a darker, plainer background would better focus attention on the women's interaction and added the curtain visible today.

The painting traveled over 8,300 miles and passed through at least fifteen owners before reaching New York. Henry Clay Frick acquired it in 1919, requiring a special license from the War Trade Board due to post-WWI restrictions on dealing with German collections. It was the last painting Frick purchased before his death and now hangs at the Frick Collection.