This painting shows a yellow ink pot, a white pen or quill, and an opened blue envelope resting on top of a large green book. The ink pot has a drop of black ink running down its side. The pot and the quill are both on top of the blue envelope, which has one side that has been ripped open and a pink stamp in one corner. The green book at the bottom has stripes of black and red on its spine, surrounded by gold borders. The surface underneath the book is black, and the wall behind the objects is tan, with the left side in shadow.

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The Blue Envelope

painter John Frederick Peto (American, 1854 - 1907)

c. 1890s

Medium: oil on wood
Classification: Painting
Dimensions: overall: 10.8 x 16.5 cm (4 1/4 x 6 1/2 in.) ; framed: 20 x 26 x 1.6 cm (7 7/8 x 10 1/4 x 5/8 in.)
Culture: American
Museum: National Gallery of Art, CAB
Credit line: Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
Rights: Public domain (NGA Open Access, CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it: Little Ones profiles and older: it shows gentle subjects for the very young. How works are placed

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