![Gerard ter Borch - The Letter [c.1660-65]](http://c1.staticflickr.com/1/277/32322888146_d52e5d2f23_b.jpg)
The simplicity of this domestic scene encourages the viewer to delight in the beauty and detail of the objects that it contains. The interaction between the three participants is left open to interpretation and the significance of the letter is not explained. Ter Borch delights in metallic surfaces, for instance the reflections in the candelabrum and the inkwell and stand. The use of deep blue ultramarine edging around the woman's neckline and the rendering of the embroidery around the edge of her skirt are masterly touches. Similarly, the painting of the woman's silk skirt, which is in excellent condition, is a passage of mesmerising beauty.
[Royal Collection Trust - Oil on canvas, 81.9 x 68.4 cm]