Gezicht op Hébron before 1878

Félix Bonfils created this photographic print titled 'Gezicht op Hébron' at an unknown date. The composition of the album page leads the eye from left to right, beginning with a blank page, drawing us into the detailed landscape and concluding with a view dominated by the tree. Consider how Bonfils frames the landscape; the delicate border around each print acts as a window, but also as a device that mediates our view of the scene. Through the semiotic system of signs, the photographs function not merely as records, but as constructed representations. The gaze, implicit in the act of photographing and viewing, speaks to power dynamics inherent in colonial-era depictions of the Middle East. The tree on the right serves as a powerful signifier. It is not just a botanical specimen, but a marker of place, history and perhaps resilience. While seemingly straightforward in its documentary style, the print engages with a complex interplay of visual elements and cultural codes. Bonfils invites ongoing interpretation and questioning rather than offering a fixed, singular meaning.