Arcadópolis
Woman in Blue Reading a Letter
Johannes Vermeer, c. 1663
What you see
A woman stands in profile, facing left, holding a letter in both hands close to her chest and reading it with her head slightly bowed. Behind her hangs a large brownish map held by a rod. On the left is a table with papers, a dark cloth and a chair; on the right, another chair.
The blue of her jacket dominates the picture and is echoed in the chair upholstery with its brass studs. Light comes from an unseen window on the left, casting bluish shadows on the white wall. Don’t miss the papers on the table, the round knob at the end of the map rod and the shadow it throws on the wall.
About Johannes Vermeer
Johannes Vermeer lived his whole life in Delft and painted very slowly: only about 35 of his works are known. He loved the soft light that comes through a window and falls on quiet scenes of daily life. He used very expensive pigments, such as ultramarine blue made from a precious stone.
More by Johannes Vermeer
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