Gezicht op Jeruzalem en de Olijfberg 1900 - 1905

This stereoscopic image captures a view of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, taken from the Latin Hospice in Palestine by an anonymous photographer. The composition, with a lone figure overlooking the cityscape, invites contemplation on the relationship between observer and observed, and speaks to the complex dynamics of cultural encounter and representation in the late 19th century. Consider for a moment the gaze directed at Jerusalem, a city laden with religious and historical significance. Whose perspective are we adopting? How does the act of viewing this landscape—especially through the then-novel technology of stereoscopic photography—shape our understanding of it? The figure in the foreground, likely a Western traveler, becomes a stand-in for the viewer, mediating our access to this distant and storied place. The image exists as both a personal experience and as a broader reflection on the power dynamics inherent in looking, framing, and ultimately, possessing an image of a land far from home.