The Note

A woman reads or writes a letter in this painting from around 1650 at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Letter scenes were among the most psychologically charged subjects in Dutch genre painting, the private act of reading or writing creating a moment of internal life that the viewer witnesses from outside. The letter"s contents—love, business, news, grief—are left to the viewer"s imagination. Metsu was among the most gifted painters of the Dutch Golden Age's second generation, combining Rembrandt's tonal depth with Vermeer's luminosity in genre scenes of exceptional refinement.

The letter or note provides the focal point, its white surface catching light within the composition. The woman"s expression—concentrated, emotional, or thoughtful—carries the painting"s narrative content. Metsu renders the paper with precise attention to its folds, edges, and the quality of ink on its surface. The palette is warm and intimate, with the writing materials providing small still-life passages.