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Reflecting on Johannes Vermeer, an Exceptional Dutch Master

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Reflecting on Johannes Vermeer, an Exceptional Dutch Master
Detail of “Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window,” circa 1659, by Johannes Vermeer. Oil on canvas; 32 5/8 inches by 25 3/8 inches. Klut/Estel/SKD
Lorraine Ferrier
Updated:
Since 1742, visitors have delighted in seeing Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window” at the Old Masters Picture Gallery in Dresden, Germany. But the scene is not the same as it was when the painting first left Vermeer’s studio around 1659. 
In 1742, the elector of Saxony and king of Poland, Augustus III, bought 30 paintings from Prince Carignan in Paris, and the painting “Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window“ was added as a complimentary gift to the king. 
Lorraine Ferrier
Lorraine Ferrier
Author
Lorraine Ferrier writes about fine arts and craftsmanship for The Epoch Times. She focuses on artists and artisans, primarily in North America and Europe, who imbue their works with beauty and traditional values. She's especially interested in giving a voice to the rare and lesser-known arts and crafts, in the hope that we can preserve our traditional art heritage. She lives and writes in a London suburb, in England.
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