Hooch, Pieter de

(baptized Dec. 20, 1629, Rotterdam, Neth.—died c. 1684, Amsterdam?) Dutch genre painter. He trained in Haarlem and was a member of the painters' guild of Delft (1655–57). In style and subject matter, his work is similar to that of Johannes Vermeer; he was noted for his small interiors and sunny outdoor scenes, with figures engaged in humble, domestic activities in settings of serene simplicity. In his best works, he was concerned with the effect of enclosures on light intensity, tonal variations, and linear perspective. After he moved to Amsterdam (c. 1661), his paintings increased in quantity but declined in quality. He died in a mental institution.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica