This work is among Boilly’s earliest efforts in trompe l’oeil painting—the artist is thought to have invented the term, which means to “fool the eye.” The letters, some addressed to a Monsieur and Madame Dandré, and the sprig of pansies (pensées in French—a word that also means “thoughts”) may indicate that the painting was dedicated to the couple. Perhaps these seemingly unrelated objects held special significance for them.
百度翻译：http://fanyi.baidu.com
