Emanuel de Witte (1617 - 1692) was a Dutch perspective painter, born in Alkmaar. He trained with Evert van Aelst in Delft and joined the Guild of St Luke back in Alkmaar in 1636.
Initially, Emanuel de Witte painted portraits as well as mythological and religious scenes. After his move to Delft in 1640 he specialized in representing church interiors. In contrast to Pieter Jansz Saenredam, who emphasized accuracy, De Witte was especially concerned with atmosphere. He painted fictional interiors and combined aspects of different churches.
His works excel in composition and use of light, while the interiors are usually inhabited by churchgoers, often accompanied by a dog. The created atmosphere thereby appears the real theme of each painting.
Emanuel de Witte moved to Amsterdam in 1652, where he commited suicide in 1692.