Posts in Category: december 20

Pieter de Hooch

Pieter de Hooch, baptized December 20, 1629–after 1679, was a Dutch painter born in Rotterdam. According to Arnold Houbraken, he trained in Haarlem with the landscape painter Nicolaes Berchem. He worked in Rotterdam before settling in Delft, where he was recorded by 1652 and joined the Guild of Saint Luke in 1655.

De Hooch specialized in domestic interiors, courtyards, guardrooms, and company scenes. His Delft paintings are characterized by carefully constructed perspective, adjoining rooms and courtyards, tiled floors, and natural light. Around 1660 he moved to Amsterdam, where his settings became larger and more elaborate.

De Hooch was last securely documented in Amsterdam in 1679; the date and circumstances of his death remain unknown. His paintings are held by the Rijksmuseum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Mauritshuis, National Gallery, Royal Collection, Gemäldegalerie, and other major collections.