A Lady Writing a Letter

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A Lady Writing a Letter (Schrijvend meisje)
Johannes Vermeer, c. 1665
oil on canvas
45 × 39.9 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

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.^[1]

[edit] 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.