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Notes

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Young people reading or writing letters in seventeenth-century Dutch paintings are invariably indicators of amorous intrigue. Here, the lady is so absorbed in answering the letter propped against the inkstand before her that she not only neglects her domestic duties, symbolised by the work basket, but also fails to perceive the jealous lover who angrily peers over her shoulder. The cello standing idle in the foreground underscores the lack of harmony between the protagonists in the painting.

The Wallace Collection

London

Title

The Letter Writer Surprised

Date

c.1658–1660

Medium

oil on oak panel

Measurements

H 45.2 x W 38.6 cm

Accession number

P240

Acquisition method

acquired by Richard Seymour-Conway, 4th Marquess of Hertford, 1867; bequeathed to the nation by Lady Wallace, 1897

Work type

Painting

The Wallace Collection

Hertford House, Manchester Square, London, Greater London W1U 3BN England

This venue is open to the public. Not all artworks are on display. If you want to see a particular artwork, please contact the venue.

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Artist or maker

Gabriel Metsu

1629–1667

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