About this artwork
Having been stripped of their images and whitewashed by Protestant reformers in the 16th century, Holland’s large Gothic churches offered an excellent subject for the exploration of light, shade, and volume. Emanuel de Witte was one of a small group of painters who specialized in church interiors. Before he moved to Amsterdam in about 1652, he worked in Delft, a city whose artists were particularly fascinated by light and perspective. In this late painting, somewhat loosely based on one of the chief churches of Delft, the angles of the nave and transept converge on the preacher high in his pulpit; an organ and genealogical panels memorializing the dead provide the only decoration.
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Artist
- Emanuel de Witte
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Title
- Interior of the Oude Kerk, Delft
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Origin
- Holland
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Date
- 1675–1685
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Medium
- Oil on panel
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Inscriptions
- Illegible traces of signature and date at lower right below dog.
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Dimensions
- 24 3/8 × 19 5/16 in. (62 × 49.2 cm)
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Credit Line
- Charles H. and Mary F. S. Worcester Collection
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Reference Number
- 1941.1038
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email .