An electrophoretic display device (1) comprising one pixel (10) with an electrophoretic medium (13), electrodes (6, 7), as well as drive means (4) by which the pixels can be brought into different optical states. Some time (thold) after the application of an addressing pulse (Paddress) for setting the brightness level (Rw, Rb) of a pixel (10), a restore pulse voltage (Prestore) is applied between the electrodes (6,6′,7) for restoring the brightness level of a pixel to the set level (Rw, Rb). The restore pulse may be a set of consecutive pulses to bring the drifted brightness level even more smoothly (i.e. less perceivably) back to the original brightness level.