▁and ▁psych olog ically . ▁The ▁ma id ' s ▁gaz e ▁towards ▁the ▁half - visible ▁window ▁indicates ▁an ▁inner ▁rest less ness ▁and ▁b ored om , ▁as ▁she ▁wa its ▁imp at ient ly ▁for ▁the ▁mess enger ▁to ▁carry ▁her ▁lady ' s ▁letter ▁away . ▁Some ▁art ▁histor ians ▁dispute ▁the ▁absol uten ess ▁of ▁this ▁view ; ▁according ▁to ▁Pascal ▁Bon af oux , ▁while ▁comp licity ▁is ▁not ▁" ind ic ated ▁by ▁a ▁look ▁or ▁a ▁smile " ▁from ▁either ▁woman , ▁the ▁mere ▁fact ▁of ▁her ▁presence ▁during ▁such ▁an ▁int imate ▁act ▁as ▁the ▁composition ▁of ▁a ▁love ▁letter ▁indicates ▁at ▁least ▁a ▁degree ▁of ▁int im acy ▁between ▁the ▁two . ▁ ▁The ▁painting ▁vis its ▁many ▁of ▁V erme er ' s ▁usual ▁painter ly ▁mot ifs ; ▁in ▁particular ▁his ▁ob session ▁with ▁the ▁inside / out side ▁axis ▁of ▁interior ▁spaces , ▁and ▁through ▁his ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁t iled ▁floor ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁vertical s ▁of ▁the ▁dress es , ▁window ▁frame ▁and ▁back ▁wall ▁painting , ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁geometry ▁and ▁abstract ▁form . ▁V erme er ▁had ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁this ▁painter ly ▁device ▁earlier ▁in ▁his ▁career , ▁not ably ▁in ▁his ▁View ▁of ▁Del ft , ▁The ▁Lac em aker ▁and ▁The ▁Art ▁of ▁P ain ting . ▁ ▁Lady ▁Writing ▁was ▁st olen ▁on ▁ 2 7 ▁April ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁along ▁with ▁a ▁Go ya , ▁two ▁G