Revealing Love in a ‘New’ Vermeer Painting

Revealing Love in a ‘New’ Vermeer Painting
Johannes Vermeer's "Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window," circa 1659, at the start of its restoration in the workshop of the Old Masters Picture Gallery, in Dresden, Germany. Jürgen Lange/SKD
Lorraine Ferrier
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Standing by an open window, a young lady is engrossed in reading a letter. On a table in the foreground, a bowl of fruit seems to have been toppled, spilling some of its contents onto a colorful and richly woven “rug.” Perhaps, the lady toppled the bowl in her haste to read the letter she grips so tightly. 
Or, as likely, Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, who created the picture “Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window,” painted the rug and fruit bowl to draw us into the painting. He also guides us into the painting with the green velvet curtain to the right of the picture frame. The green, in turn, complements the lady’s green dress.
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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