After its grand reopening in April, the Frick is putting on an exhibition comprising three paintings by Vermeer (18 June–31 August). Mistress and Maid (c. 1664–67) – the last artwork Henry Clay Frick acquired before his death in 1919, costing him some $300,000 (more than $5.5m today) – is an intimate depiction of a woman being handed a piece of paper by a servant whose lapis lazuli skirt sets off her dull brown overgarment to striking effect. It is joined by The Love Letter (c. 1669–70) and Woman Writing a Letter with her Maid (c. 1670–72), from the Rijksmuseum and the National Gallery of Ireland respectively. Together the paintings prompt viewers to think creatively about the nuances of the relationship between these women of status and their servants. Thanks to Vermeer’s command of interior spaces and inner lives, these works amply repay close attention and contemplation.
Find out more from the Frick’s website.
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Mistress and Maid (c. 1664–67), Johannes Vermeer. The Frick Collection, New York. Photo: Joseph Coscia Jr.
The Love Letter (c. 1669–70), Johannes Vermeer. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Woman Writing a Letter with her Maid (c. 1670–72), Johannes Vermeer. National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. Photo: © National Gallery of Ireland
