The letter writer, Frans van Mieris (I), 1680 oil on panel, h 25cm × w 20cm. More object details A messenger waits patiently for the young woman to finish her letter. Judging by her clothes, she leads a life of luxury. As a pastime, she amuses herself by playing the lute: this allows us to guess that the letter must be addressed to a lover! Frans van Mieris was the most important Leiden fine painter: on the smallest formats, he knew how to render velvet and silk, fur and wood minutely.
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