Restored Soldier Reappears in Pieter de Hooch's Mauritshuis Painting

A long-hidden soldier has been painted back into Pieter de Hooch's 17th-century masterpiece 'A Man Smoking and a Woman Drinking in a Courtyard' (c. 1658-60), now on view at the Mauritshuis in The Hague. The restoration, led by Sabrina Meloni and Abbie Vandivere, used a reversible technique to reinstate the figure, which had been painted out at some point in the painting's history. The decision was informed by a similar version, 'A Dutch Courtyard' at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, which retains the soldier. The addition changes the painting's interpretation: with the soldier present, the scene becomes a drinking game, adding a moralistic dimension that was likely De Hooch's intention. The painting has been renamed 'Figures in a Courtyard'. The Mauritshuis conducted extensive research but could not determine who removed the soldier or why, though it was not De Hooch. The museum speculates a later owner may have wanted to make the painting more unique or that soldiers were no longer common figures in society. The restoration also restores the painting's physical balance. Judith Niessen, head of collections and research at the Mauritshuis, noted that the painting now appears less innocent and more clearly depicts a drinking game. The restoration highlights renewed attention on De Hooch, a Delft painter known for his depictions of architecture and daily life, similar to Vermeer.