The Letter
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
24 x 19 1/2 in. (61 x 49.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1912
Accession Number
14.32.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Pietro Longhi's *The Letter* (1746), an oil on canvas measuring just 24 x 19½ inches, invites visitors into the cozy intimacy of 18th-century Venetian domestic life. Longhi, born Pietro Falca (1702–1785), was a master of the Rococo genre scene, specializing in small-scale vignettes that capture the everyday rituals of Venice's rising bourgeoisie with wry observation and delicate charm. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Frederick C. Hewitt Fund in 1912, this painting exemplifies his focus on ordinary moments elevated to poetic elegance. The composition unfolds in a softly ...