The Interior of the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam
Emanuel de Witte·c. 1660
Historical Context
Emanuel de Witte's Interior of the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam from around 1660 depicts the city's oldest parish church, whose whitewashed Protestant interior provided the perfect subject for his exploration of light and architectural space. De Witte was the foremost painter of church interiors in the Dutch Golden Age, taking creative liberties with actual buildings to enhance dramatic effect. His church interiors transcend mere architectural documentation to become studies of light itself.
Technical Analysis
De Witte's oil-on-canvas technique creates dramatic contrasts between the bright shafts of light entering through windows and the deep shadows of the nave. The loose, confident brushwork animates the architectural surfaces with a vibrancy that distinguishes his work from more precise architectural painters.
Provenance
(Sale, Philippus van der Schley et al. at Arnoldus Dankmeyer & Son, Amsterdam, 14-15 August 1793, no. 215); Fouquet, Amsterdam; (sale, Philippus van der Schley et al. at Huis van Trip, Amsterdam, 7-8 May 1804, no. 194). E.W. Walker;[1] (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 10 April 1883, no. 123); Lesser.[2] John Femor-Hesketh, Towcaster, Northamptonshire. (Mortimer Brandt, New York), by 1951/1952 until at least 1963. (Noortman & Brod, New York), by 1981. Saul P. and Gayfryd Steinberg, New York; (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, New York, 12 January 1996, no. 197); private collection, New York; purchased 17 November 2004 through (Gurr-Johns, London) by NGA. [1] E.W. Walker is the vendor's name originally written under stock number 332R in Christie's daybook for the 1883 sale, but it is crossed out and "Miss Maples" is written above it, so it is not certain who the seller was. This information was kindly supplied by Marijke Booth of Christie's Archives Department (e-mail of 13 December 2005, in NGA curatorial files). [2] The name of the buyer, originally given to the NGA as "Legge," was kindly corrected by Marijke Booth of Christie's Archives Department (e-mail of 8 December 2005, in NGA curatorial files).
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