This picture was probably painted in 1658, towards the end of de Hooch's stay in Delft. Many changes in the composition show the care with which the design was developed. The figures appear to have been added after the architectural features of the interior had been painted. Its chequered floor is visible through the skirt of the servant to the right, and technical photographs show that this figure was originally in conversation with a man standing on her left, a figure later concealed by the painter.
The main focus of the painting is the wine glass, held up by the girl on the left, which is brightly illuminated from the adjacent window. On the rear wall behind the table is a map of Holland and over the fireplace to the right, a painting showing the Education of the Virgin, which is similar to a picture (Ering, Esterhazy Chapel) which appears to have been painted in Flanders in the early 17th century.
[Oil on canvas, 73.7 x 64.6 cm]
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