''Woman Reading a Letter'' is an oil painting by Dutch artist

Gabriël Metsu Gabriël Metsu (1629–1667) was a Dutch painter of history paintings, still lifes, portraits, and genre works. He was "a highly eclectic artist, who did not adhere to a consistent style, technique, or one type of subject for long periods". On ...

, created 1665–1667, shortly before his death. During his lifetime, under the Golden Age of Dutch painting Metsu was a renowned painter, much better known than Vermeer. It is assumed to be a pair with '' Man Writing a Letter''. The pair of paintings are regarded as some of Metsu's best-known works; Metsu got the idea of a pair of themed paintings from

Gerard ter Borch Gerard ter Borch (; December 1617 – 8 December 1681), also known as Gerard Terburg (), was a Dutch genre painter who lived in the Dutch Golden Age. He influenced fellow Dutch painters Gabriel Metsu, Gerrit Dou, Eglon van der Neer and Johanne ...

, who had painted a similar pair. It has been in the collection of the

National Gallery of Ireland The National Gallery of Ireland ( ga, Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann) houses the national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on ...

, in Dublin, since 1987.

Description

A woman is reading a letter, seated by a window with a blue curtain. She is dressed elegantly in a yellow jacket with an expensive collar of ermine, and a skirt of peach-colored silk; there is gold trim on both the skirt and the elegant shoe she has kicked off.

Susan Stamberg Susan Stamberg (born September 7, 1938) is an American radio journalist. Stamberg was co-host of NPR's flagship program ''All Things Considered.'' In that role Stamberg was the first female host of a national news broadcast. She's considered one ...

"Gabriel Metsu: The Dutch Master You Don't Know"
'' Morning Edition'', NPR, May 18, 2011. The red and blue embroidery pillow on her lap and the sewing basket next to her show that she put her needlework aside to read the letter. Beside her, a maid in dark clothing is drawing aside a curtain in front of a painting of a naval scene in an ebony frame. Visual clues would have made it immediately apparent to Metsu's contemporaries that the letter is a love letter. The little spaniel symbolizes fidelity and loyalty, the

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...

's arrows on the bucket and the maid's old shoes symbolize love and hope for a safe return. The painting, showing a stormy sea, could refer to a tumultuous relationship or indicate that the loved one is on the sea. A final, striking detail is found in the letter the maid is holding: it is addressed to the painter.Peter C. Sutton, Lisa Vergara, Ann Jensen Adams
''Love Letters: Dutch Genre Paintings in the Age of Vermeer''
London: Frances Lincoln Limited, 2003, pp. 132–33. ''Woman Reading a Letter'' is a companion piece to '' Man Writing a Letter'', in which the young man is writing the letter. Records indicate the paintings have always been owned as a pair. Metsu likely got the idea for a pair of themed paintings from

, who had painted a similar pair, ''Man Writing a Letter'' and ''A Woman Sealing a Letter'', but the influence of Johannes Vermeer is also unmistakable in the paintings themselves.

History

The pair of paintings were owned by

Hendrick Sorgh Hendrick Sorgh (baptized 6 November 1666 - buried 23 January 1720) was a broker and art collector in Amsterdam. Ancestry His father Marten Sorgh (ca 1641-1702) was registered as a silk trader when he became an Amsterdam citizen in 1665. Sorgh, ...

, a broker in Amsterdam. After his death they were sold for 560 guilders on 28 March 1720 to George Bruyn. After he in turn died they were sold on 16 March 1724 for 785 guilders to Johannes Coop, a wealthy cotton printer and dyer. Approximately between 1744 and 1750, for 500 guilders, they came into the possession of

Gerrit Braamcamp Gerrit Braamcamp (18 November 1699, in Amsterdam – 17 June 1771, in Amsterdam) was a successful Roman Catholic distiller, timber merchant, and art collector from the Netherlands. One of the most important merchants in Amsterdam, he built a ti ...

, a collector who owned no fewer than ten works by Metsu; his heirs benefited from the artist's popularity. On 31 July 1771 the two paintings were bought for 5,205 guilders by Jan Hope. They would descend to Lord Francis Pelham Clinton Hope, who sold them in 1898 as part of a collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings that was purchased by the art dealers A. Wertheimer and P. & D. Colnaghi. The pair of paintings were inherited by Sir Alfred Beit, of London and Blessington. Both were among artworks stolen from Russborough House in 1974 and again in 1986, but were eventually recovered."Provenance", ''Man Writing a Letter'' and ''Woman Reading a Letter'',

br>online collection
retrieved September 11, 2014. In 1987 both paintings were donated to the National Gallery of Ireland, though they remained missing until 1993.

Reception

The pair of paintings are commonly regarded as some of Metsu's best work; reviewing an exhibition of works by Metsu in '' The New York Times'' in 2011, Karen Rosenberg called them "stunning",Karen Rosenberg
"Inspiring Comparisons with Vermeer"
'' The New York Times'', April 28, 2011. and

of NPR described them as "gorgeously painted with fabulous technique and meticulously rendered details".

References

External links

Woman Reading a Letter
at the National Gallery of Ireland {{DEFAULTSORT:Woman Reading a Letter (Metsu) 1660s paintings Collection of the National Gallery of Ireland Dogs in art Paintings by Gabriël Metsu Genre paintings Beit collection