For many years, the attribution of the painting—which features a young Dutch woman reading a letter before an open window—was lost, with first Rembrandt and then Pieter de Hooch being credited for the work before it was properly identified in 1880.

[2][3] The painting as seen for nearly 300 years depicts a young Dutch blonde girl standing at an open window, in profile, reading a letter.

"[3] In Vermeer, 1632–1675 (2000), Norbert Schneider wrote that the open window represents "the woman's longing to extend her domestic sphere" beyond the constraints of her home and society, while the fruit "is a symbol of extramarital relations.

He supports the conclusion by observing, as revealed by x-rays of the canvas, that the work as produced by Vermeer portrayed painting of a putto, likely representing Cupid,[5] hanging on the wall in the upper right portion of the piece.

[1] Even more common, the repoussoir appears in 25, with Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window, one of three which feature a rug-covered table or balustrade between the figure and the viewer.

[6] John Michael Montias in Vermeer and His Milieu (1991) points out the "tiny white globules" that can be seen in the brighter parts of both paintings, including the still life elements of both and the blond hair specifically in this work.

[14] It was so labelled when French art critic Théophile Thoré-Bürger came upon it, recognizing it as one of the rare works of the Dutch painter and restoring its proper attribution in 1860.

Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window was among the paintings rescued from destruction during the bombing of Dresden in World War II.

"[16][17] Aggrieved at the thought of losing hundreds of paintings, art historians and museum curators in the Soviet Union suggested that "in acknowledgment for saving and returning the world-famous treasures of the Dresden Gallery" the Germans should perhaps donate to them Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window and Sleeping Venus by Giorgione.

[20] With the major restoration of the original painting by Vermeer, the question has been posed: “Will Tom Hunter now revisit his Kobal Photographic Portrait Award winning work to reveal a hidden image on the wall?”[2]