Innenhof eines Hauses in Delft

The Courtyard of a House in Delft

The tablet above the archway was originally over the entrance to the Hieronymusdale Cloister in Delft. It translates: 'This is in Saint Jerome's vale, if you wish to withdraw to patience and meekness. For we must first descend if we wish to be raised.' De Hooch is best known for his Delft-period paintings of orderly interiors and sunny courtyards.