Interior of the Oude Kerk, Delft

Having been stripped of their images and whitewashed by Protestant reformers in the 16th century, the Dutch Republic’s large Gothic churches offered a compelling subject for artists. Emanuel de Witte was one of a small group of painters who specialized in explorations of the light, shade, and volume particular to church interiors. In this painting, executed late in the artist’s career, the organ and genealogical panels honoring the dead (suspended from the ceiling and affixed to the columns) are the only decoration.