Raise a glass: long-hidden image of soldier returns to Pieter de Hooch painting
The figure has been painted back onto the work at the Maurithuis after being removed at some stage in its history
The return of a painted-out soldier to Pieter de Hooch's 17th-century masterpiece, now displayed at the Mauritshuis in The Hague, has given a new interpretation to the classic work. The painting, A Man Smoking and a Woman Drinking in a Courtyard (circa 1658-60), once featured a red-faced soldier in the middle of the scene, but restorers Sabrina Meloni and Abbie Vandivere decided to repaint the soldier back onto the canvas, using a reversible technique.
Initially, the men were thought to be enjoying a quiet moment in their courtyard, but this discovery reveals they were likely playing a drinking game, with the woman drinking from a pass-glass, and the two men not. Restorers noted that the painting's discolouration over the past 360 years influenced their approach, opting for a more understated depiction of the soldier to blend in seamlessly.
The addition of the soldier brings back the painting's physical balance and moral undertones, shifting its interpretation from a seemingly innocent scene to a more explicit depiction of a drinking game and the underlying societal norms of the time.
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