Jérusalem, Enceinte du Temple, Face Sud de l'angle Sud-Est 1854 - 1859

Auguste Salzmann created this photograph, "Jérusalem, Enceinte du Temple, Face Sud de l'angle Sud-Est," using a paper negative. The image is dominated by a monumental wall, its stonework meticulously captured in shades of gray and brown. The rough texture of the stones contrasts with the smooth sky, creating a stark visual hierarchy. Salzmann's architectural focus engages with the semiotics of space and power. The composition's visual signs, such as the wall's imposing scale, its solid form and the absence of human presence, may reflect broader concerns about territorial claims and the representation of sacred spaces. This photograph destabilizes any romanticized notions of the Holy Land. It presents a structure which challenges fixed meanings and invites interpretation. The photograph's formal qualities, especially the emphasis on texture and volume, function as part of a larger cultural discourse about historical preservation, architectural documentation and the semiotics of space. The reading of Jerusalem continues in perpetuity, and the photograph remains a powerful symbol of its complex identity.