The Visit

ca. 1657
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 614
De Hooch situated this scene in a voorhuis, the street-facing room in a narrow Dutch row house that receives the best light. The placement of the window and construction of the space reveal the close dialogue that de Hooch had with Johannes Vermeer at the time. But elements such as the plate of aphrodisiac oysters and canopied bed suggest that de Hooch most likely intended this particular scene to represent a brothel rather than a respectable home.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Visit
  • Artist: Pieter de Hooch (Dutch, Rotterdam 1629–1684 Amsterdam)
  • Date: ca. 1657
  • Medium: Oil on wood
  • Dimensions: 26 3/4 x 23 in. (67.9 x 58.4 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
  • Object Number: 29.100.7
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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