Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window

Vermeer's Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window shows a young woman standing by a bed, reading a letter, as soft daylight enters from a blue-framed window on the left. A red drapery and a green curtain frame the scene, while a bowl of fruit and a richly patterned textile on the bed provide a still-life counterpoint to the figure. The painting exemplifies Vermeer’s restrained, luminous Dutch Golden Age style, with precise rendering of textures, a quiet contemplative mood, and careful use of light and shadow to model forms and fabrics.