Public domain
The Letter Writer
From the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
We can only guess as to the content of the letter being composed by this woman. A lute, an instrument with amorous connotations, rests on the table. Writing love letters was wildly popular and highly regarded in that time. Compared to surrounding countries, many people in the Dutch Republic could read and write. The messenger standing behind the woman patiently awaits her to finish so that he can deliver the missive.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s own descriptionCredit lineDe briefschrijfster. 1680. Frans van Mieris (I). Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Public domain.
