A Lady Writing a Letter

Infobox Painting

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painting_alignment = right
image_size = 250px
title = A Lady Writing a Letter (Schrijvend meisje)
artist = Johannes Vermeer
year = c. 1665
type = oil on canvas
height = 45
width = 39.9
city = Washington, D.C.
museum = National Gallery of Art

"A Lady Writing a Letter" (also known as "A Lady Writing"; Dutch: "Schrijvend meisje") is an oil painting attributed to 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. It is believed to have been completed around 1665. The painting is currently in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C..

Many of the objects in the painting, such as the woman's coat, the cloth on the table, and the string of pearls, appear in other Vermeer works. This has led to speculation that he or his family members owned them, and that the subjects of the paintings are his relatives. Most of his paintings are set in his house, which he inherited. [ [http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pinfo?Object=46154+0+none A Lady Writing ] ]

Popular Culture

The painting gained recent prominence thanks to its central role in the plot of the Blue Balliett children's book "Chasing Vermeer". In the book, two children are striving to find the mystery of the missing piece of art.

Exhibitions

In its first ever loan to the Norton Simon Museum, the National Gallery of Art agreed to lend the painting for exhibition at the Pasadena, California museum from November 7, 2008 through February 9, 2009. [ [http://www.nortonsimon.org/exhibitions.aspx?id=8#1082 Future Exhibitions ] ]

References

* [http://essentialvermeer.20m.com/cat_about/writing.htm Critical info by Peter Sutton]

* [http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg51/gg51-46154.0.html National Gallery of Art's page on 'A Lady Writing']