Thanks for your immediate reply! See my followup comment yesterday, I am pretty sure that was all it was – apparently the fact that Reynolds even listed a Vermeer painting at all was evidence that that painting you named had impressed him.

I’m not sure I can. I wrote this some long time ago, and I believe that the line came from an entry in a specific souvenir/guide book from the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. The reference should reside in his journal from 1781 when he visited in the Netherlands, but it’s possible he was speaking of a different Vermeer, I suppose. Museum publications often color things to suit their exhibition of the moment; that combined with my sloppiness in research can lead to all sorts of errors. A quick Google search tells me Reynolds was visiting a Mr. Gart in Amsterdam which may help if you have access to the journal. Good luck.

Thank you so much. I didn’t know about the envelope doodles, and I think that is a delightful idea. I pledge to take it up myself. Good of you to share.