Young woman in mourning dress reading a letter

Ter Borch's Young Woman in Mourning Dress Reading a Letter from around 1662 combines two of his most characteristic subjects: the letter-reading woman and the depiction of luxurious black fabric. The mourning dress suggests a widow, and the letter's content—perhaps from a suitor or a business associate—adds narrative intrigue. Ter Borch's ability to invest simple domestic scenes with psychological complexity through subtle gesture and expression influenced the entire next generation of Dutch genre painters, including Vermeer and Metsu.

Ter Borch's legendary skill in rendering black fabric is fully displayed in the mourning dress's varied textures—matte wool, glossy silk, and translucent lace. The restrained palette and the concentration on the reader's absorbed expression create an atmosphere of quiet intimacy.