3-016-299 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Interior with a Woman sewing and a Child, 1662. De Hooch depicts a typical Dutch interior. The mother is busy sewing but also attends to her small son. They are located in the area of the house known as the voorhuis, which connected with the exterior and when not used for conducting business was a space for domestic activities. The second room, which connects with this one through a door and an interior window with a grille, is the binnenhuis, in this case with a large fireplace. The woman is seated on a dais or soldertien that offered protection from the cold and damp of the floor, while behind it is a richly worked leather hanging that functions as a back to the bench