▁who ▁is ▁pres umably ▁acting ▁as ▁mess enger ▁and ▁go - between ▁for ▁the ▁lady ▁and ▁her ▁lo ver . ▁The ▁work ▁is ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁bridge ▁between ▁the ▁quiet ▁rest raint ▁and ▁self - cont ain ment ▁of ▁V erme er ' s ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 6 0 s ▁and ▁his ▁relatively ▁cool er ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 7 0 s . ▁It ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁partly ▁inspired ▁by ▁Ter ▁Bor ch ' s ▁painting ▁Woman ▁Se aling ▁a ▁Let ter . ▁The ▁painting ' s ▁canvas ▁was ▁almost ▁certainly ▁cut ▁from ▁the ▁same ▁b olt ▁used ▁for ▁Woman ▁with ▁a ▁L ute . ▁ ▁Lady ▁Writing ▁a ▁Let ter ▁with ▁her ▁Ma id ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁artist ' s ▁experiments ▁with ▁cent rif ug al ▁composition ; ▁where ▁the ▁focus ▁is ▁not ▁only ▁from ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁canvas . ▁In ▁addition , ▁it ▁is ▁his ▁third ▁work ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁drama ▁and ▁dynamic ▁is ▁not ▁cent red ▁on ▁a ▁single ▁figure . ▁The ▁ma id ▁is ▁shown ▁standing ▁in ▁the ▁mid - ground , ▁behind ▁her ▁lady , ▁with ▁her ▁hands ▁crossed ▁and ▁waiting ▁for ▁the ▁letter ▁to ▁be ▁completed . ▁The ▁positions ▁of ▁their ▁bodies ▁indicate ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁women ▁are ▁dis connected . ▁The ▁fol ded ▁arms ▁of ▁the ▁ma id ▁seem ▁out ward ly ▁as ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁display ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁self - cont ain ment , ▁however ▁she ▁is ▁det ached ▁from ▁her ▁lady ▁both ▁em otion ally