| The letter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Frederick McCubbin |
| Year | 1884 |
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 69.1 cm× 51.0 cm(27.2 in× 20.1 in) |
| Location | Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat |
| Website | artgalleryofballarat.com.au |
The letter is an 1884 painting by the Australian artist Frederick McCubbin. The painting depicts a young woman reading a letter walking in the bush alongside a stream. [1]
The model for the woman was the artist's sister Harriet McCubbin (known as "Polly"), an art student. [1] The setting is believed to have been worked up from en plein air sketches of the Yarra River near Darebin Creek. [1]
A privately held sister piece, featuring the woman reading the letter without the bush setting will be auctioned in November 2021. [2]
The painting was acquired by the Art Gallery of Ballarat in 1946 and remains part of its collection. [3]
