How does A Dutch Courtyard elucidate its Repainting?
To achieve the sense of order, De Hooch carefully manipulated elements of the composition, strengthening the figural group. Thorough visual examination and infrared reflectography conducted at 1.2 to 2.5 microns reveal several modifications made by the artist. The little girl seems to have been elevated slightly and shifted approximately one inch to the right from her initial position thus, adjusted to overlap with the intersection of the house and the rear wall of the courtyard. This placement, along with the presence of the vibrant orange-red window shutter directly above her, works to diminish the pronounced sense of recession induced by the building's receding perspective. The standing woman's head might have been more upright as she raised her glass to a slightly higher level, and an earlier position of her foot was painted over. The original fence extended between the two seated men, but this was altered. The arm and beer stein positions of the central seated figure were adjusted, with a noticeable pentimento indicating that the stein was initially positioned farther back, covering the view of the elbow. In the background, the courtyard visible through the open door initially featured a second, somewhat thinner tree trunk. The arch in the doorway is painted over both tree trunks, suggesting that it was likely added late in the creative process. Lastly, the top of the building on the right initially terminated at a lower point, not extending vertically to the top of the picture space.The paint remains in good condition, displaying minimal loss and only slight abrasion, with notable exceptions being the background trees and a one-inch strip along the top of the sky, which exhibit more severe abrasion. Additional areas affected by abrasion encompass the little girl's face, the woman's blue apron, and the cloak of the foreground-seated man. A restoration effort in 2002 addressed these abrasions, involving inpainting to seamlessly integrate them with the overall composition. Historical records indicate a previous treatment in Holland during the 1930s before the most recent restoration.
infrared reflectography courtyard Holland