Woman in Blue Reading a Letter is a genre painting by Dutch Golden Age artist Johannes Vermeer. It was created in 1664. This work is located in The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
This painting depicts an intimate domestic scene that leaves much open to interpretation. The contents of the letter are not visible, but the fact that the woman is still in her nightdress and has gone to the window to read by the morning light implies that the letter has just arrived.
The map on the wall behind her is likely a reference to a traveling husband or lover and a hint regarding the author of the letter.
Her appearance could either indicate pregnancy or simply be a reflection of the period’s fashion, and the pearls on the table were either a gift accompanying the letter or the result of her interrupted dressing routine.
Johannes Vermeer’s Woman Reading a Letter can be found in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.