Clouet looked to literary sources for his composition, representing three famous figures from the Commedia dell’Arte: the procuress, the lover and the courtesan who is the object of his affections. The latter, depicted nude, is covered with a delicate, almost transparent veil and occupies the center of the composition with the old procuress holding a letter on the left and the lover on the right. (http://books0977.tumblr.com/post/154404580847/the-love-letter-c1570-fran%C3%A7ois-clouet-french)