Gezicht op de Heilig Grafkerk in Jeruzalem 1867 - 1885

Curator: Here we have Félixe Bonfils' albumen print, "View of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem," dating from around 1867 to 1885. What strikes you about it? Editor: It's profoundly still, almost hushed. The light, despite clearly being daytime, seems muted, as if holding its breath before entering a sacred space. All that stone—so much history, isn’t it overwhelming? Curator: It's a captivating tension between documentation and, as you say, stillness. Bonfils was part of a wave of 19th-century photographers drawn to the Middle East. These images catered to European audiences hungry for visual representations of the ‘Orient’. Editor: Right, the ‘Orient’! Loaded word. So, was he attempting pure documentation or projecting a European idea of Jerusalem? I sense a curated exoticism. Look at how the light is hitting that dome—almost theatrical. Curator: Precisely! The albumen process, using egg whites, lends a characteristic warm tone and incredible detail. But, it’s crucial to acknowledge that Bonfils, although meticulously recording architecture, operated within a specific cultural lens. Editor: A lens definitely tinged with romanticism. And privilege, probably? Being able to just pop over to Jerusalem with a massive camera in 1870-something? I find it compelling, the image—yet that inherent power dynamic sits heavy with me. Did locals get a say in how their home was portrayed? Curator: An excellent point. Agency is key here. Often, the native population was relegated to picturesque background elements. Here we only have hints of a couple of figures right there by the doors to remind us it’s not a ghost town. Editor: Ghostly presence is indeed strong in this composition. Well, considering how much conflict that part of the world has endured, it might well be haunted with reverberations from the past, which brings its own weight here too I feel. It seems that time is in no hurry there. Curator: A multi-layered image indeed, where aesthetics meet history and critical awareness! Thanks for your insights. Editor: Anytime. It's an amazing snapshot into what has been and continues to shift, and our view on both.