Figures in a Courtyard behind a House

In his Delft period, De Hooch turned to a new subject, namely brightly lit figures in a back garden. The people depicted in this scene seem somewhat out of place and could just as easily be found in a dimly lit tavern. Seduction is in the air. The galant (or suitor) casts a flirtatious glance at the girl squeezing the juice of a lemon into her glass.