The Three Weavers

Three women of different ages appear in a luxuriously appointed interior. The eldest, her hair modestly covered, writes a letter while the youngest peers over her shoulder. The third woman, dressed in the radiant satin often associated with Ter Borch, appears pensive or lovelorn. Dutch women had high rates of literacy compared to their peers in other European countries, and letter writing was a common feature of courtship. Perhaps the older woman at the table is helping her friend craft a response to a suitor.