Regular and Large print chart included
PatternKeeper compatible
This advanced fine-art cross stitch design, Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid, was developed from a painting by Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer, acknowledged as one of the greatest artists of the Dutch Golden Age. Created between 1670 and 1671, Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid shows a middle-class woman with her maid who is acting as a messenger for the woman and her lover. It appears as though the two women are disconnected as shown by the positions of their bodies. The maid, as she gazes towards the window, seems impatient as she waits for the messenger to carry the woman's letter away. However, some historians feel there was some degree of intimacy between them, shown by the fact that the maid's presence was allowed during such an intimate moment. Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid was stolen in 1974, recovered eight days later, stolen again in 1986 and finally recovered in 1993. The painting resides at the National Gallery in Dublin.
The Art of Painting shows an artist's workplace and is exemplary in its illumination of the interior through the use of light. This painting has only two figures - the painter and his subject. It is thought that the painter is a self-portrait of the artist, though the face is not visible. The other figure in the painting is the artistâs subject, and is a girl dressed as the Muse of History, Clio. She is wearing a laurel wreath, holds a trumpet and carries a book by the Greek historian, Thucydides. We also see a heavy curtain like a theatre curtain, pulled to one side, giving a feeling of seeing the actors on stage.
After the Nazi invasion of Austria, the painting was acquired by Adolf Hitler for his personal collection. At the end of World War II, the painting was rescued from a salt mine in 1945 and presented by the Americans to the Austrian Government in 1946. It is now the property of the State of Austria.
This chart is available in two formats - regular and large print. Once you make your purchase you will have access to both.
If you would like to see the floss list before buying a chart just click on this link - FLOSS LIST - to view the floss list.
Advanced cross stitch instructions and a floss amount conversion chart are included in the pattern.
We guarantee our charts 100%. If you are not happy with your purchase please send us a message.
This chart is a Digital Download. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is a free program, to read and print out the file. If you don't have Acrobat Reader CLICK HERE to download. After your purchase is complete you will receive an e-mail with instructions to download your file. You will also have access to the download file when you are logged into your Serenity Stitchworks account.
Design Size:
300w x 361h stitches
Types of Stitches:
Full stitches only, no half or quarter stitches, no backstitching
Level of Difficulty:
Advanced
Sewn Design Size:
14 count: 21.43 x 25.79 inches - 544mm x 655mm
18 count: 16.67 x 20.06 inches - 423mm x 509mm
20 count: 15.00 x 18.05 inches - 381mm x 458mm
22 count: 13.64 x 16.41 inches - 346mm x 417mm
Fabric size necessary for design:
Add six inches to both length and width (3" on each side)
Number of floss colors in the design: 72 (DMC cotton floss) No blended colors.
