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Emanuel de Witte (painter) Dutch, c. 1617 - 1691/1692 The Interior of the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam, c. 1660 oil on canvas Overall: 80.5 x 100 cm (31 11/16 x 39 3/8 in.) framed: 122.6 x 141.1 x 7.3 cm (48 1/4 x 55 9/16 x 2 7/8 in.) Patrons' Permanent Fund 2004.127.1 |
Emanuel de Witte was born in Alkmaar, but trained with the still-life painter Evert van Aelst (1602–1658) in Delft. There he began his career as a painter of biblical and mythological paintings (mostly night scenes). Around 1650 he started to specialize in architectural paintings of Delft churches. In 1652 he moved to Amsterdam, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Emanuel de Witte and Pieter Saenredam (1597–1665) are the most important 17th-century painters of church interiors, a significant genre in Dutch art. The two artists, however, approached their subjects in radically different ways. Saenredam had a scientific, almost archaeological, interest in the building's structure, as seen in Cathedral of Saint John at 's-Hertogenbosch. In this work, Saenredam uses muted colors, mostly ochers, and expresses little concern for human interactions within the space. In such paintings, the effects of light are minimal. De Witte, on the other hand, employed figures and contrasts of light and shadow to establish the mood and spiritual function of the church. Although most of the churches in his paintings are recognizable, as they are located primarily in Delft and Amsterdam, he often combined architectural elements in imaginative and fanciful ways.
The Interior of the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam is one of De Witte's most imposing works, not only because of its unusually large scale, but also because of the dramatic view down the nave. The painting is boldly executed, with dramatic light streaming across the composition. Numerous figures enliven the space, including a procession of top-hatted gentlemen who have entered the church at the far left to attend a funeral and the two gentlemen in the foreground who discuss the open tomb. De Witte juxtaposes a mother nursing her child with the open tomb to suggest the continuity of life even in the face of death.