The love letter by Johannes Vermeer
The Love Letter is a painting by the Dutch master Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675). It was made in ± 1669 - ± 1670 with oil on canvas and measures 44 x 38.5 cm. The painting has been in the collection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam since January 1893.
In the work, Vermeer warns against promiscuity, in a visual language that was well understood in the 17th century. Within the Catholic environment in which Vermeer lived in Delft, this warning would have been appreciated. The impending adultery is depicted by the love letter that the woman depicted receives, the lute that she plays and the 2 slippers in the foreground, with one broom placed on it. The woman's look betrays shock and desperation: apparently she now realizes that she will have to choose between 'good' and 'evil'. The warnings consist of the painting in the background with the small ship that sets sail towards a dangerous storm, while the painting above indicates 'the right path': a peaceful landscape with a man (the allegorical husband), the basket on the straight path. with dirty laundry that can easily be taken outside, and the amused mocking look of the maid present, an indication of the (popular) ridicule that the woman will receive if she makes the 'wrong choice'
