Women Who Read Are Dangerous

Among the many pictures I have been collecting and storing into my computer for 15 years, I found out that quite a few dealt with women reading a letter, and most of them, if not all of them were absolutely exquisite. I love them because they are like snapshots, the sitters look just as they are, in the midst of their reading and of their feelings, without pretense, without trying to showing off. These are the only portraits that show women under their true essence. I once told my wife that I should compile these images and edit them somehow. But I am lazy and the project remained what it was, a project.

Last week I had my birthday and my wife was shopping at the only place she deemed fit to honor me with a suitable present, that is to say in a bookstore. Her attention was drawn by this provocative title (she happens to read a lot but never realised she was so dangerous) and after she had browsed through it, she understood that my idea had been stolen by some other wise guy and hop! she bought the book together with other art books, and could not refrain herself to see how I would react by unveiling me this terrible offense. Well, she was a bit disappointed, as I softly said, after I had gone through the magnificent images, 'oh, I had a similar idea once...'

Indeed, the idea was similar, but not entirely. My attention was mainly focused upon women reading a letter rather than something else. A letter, especially at times where there was no telephone or fast spreading news, meant a lot to its remittee. It was direct and first hand news, certainly expected with much emotion, not to speak of the billet-doux, which probably constitutes the majority of the paintings representing women reading a letter. We also should not forget that alphabetization was reserved to upper classes and many people had to pay or rely on somebody for either writing in their behalf or reading from others. Therefore, as such, any graphic representation of the act involving writing or reading a letter represents for me an invaluable testimony. As I said, it is one of my favorite themes.

Now, as the author of this book, Mr Stefan Bollmann, was quicker than me to exploit this source, let us bow with humility and concede our defeat, inasmuch as he wrote interesting comments regarding each and every marvelous illustration in his book. It is just an enchantment to leaf the richly illustrated pages, and enjoy the high quality of the printing. I am absolutely delighted with it. Of course, as for any compilation, he had to choose among a vast iconography. I'll dare sharing with you pictures that do not appear in his book and let you enjoy as much as I do when I look at them.

Here they are:

Woman sitting in a room by a chest with a chinese statue, by Carl Holse, danish (1863-1935)

Girl reading while walking, by Henri Martin, french (1860-1943)

Lady with her maidservant holding a letter, by Jan Vermeer, dutch (1632-1675)

Woman looking at a sealed envelope, by Raimundo Madrazo y Garreta, spanish (1841-1920)

Hatted lady reading by a window, by Thomas Benjamin Kennington, american (1856-1916)

Maria Van Rysselberghe reading, by Theo Van Rysselberghe (1862-1926)

Lady reading a letter by a lamp, by Delphin Enjolras, french (1857-1945)

"Lovelorn" - Woman holding a letter, by Alfred Stevens, belgian (1823-1906)

Reading a letter aloud, by Harry Roseland, american (1858-1960)

Reclining lady reading a letter, by Raphael de Ochoa y Madrazo, spanish (1858-1935)

Girl reading a letter, by Emile Munier, french (1840-1895)

Reading aloud to children, by Henri Heyligers, dutch (1877-1967)

Woman reading a letter in front of an elderly lady, by Gotthardt Johann Kuhl, german (1850-1915)