"Eglise du Pater, intéieur - Chruch of the Pater, Interior", Olijfberg bij Jeruzalem, Palestina c. 1880 - 1890

Editor: This photograph, taken by Maison Bonfils around 1880-1890, is titled "Eglise du Pater, intérieur – Church of the Pater, Interior," and it shows the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. The sepia tone and the gothic arches create a deeply contemplative atmosphere for me. What feeling does the image evoke in you? Curator: Oh, it whispers stories, doesn't it? That light, the geometry…It makes me think about time and place, doesn’t it? Palestine at that period, captured through this gelatine-silver print… you almost feel the photographer was drawn to capture more than bricks and mortar. Look at the slight blur, giving a spiritual aura around the building. Can you see that? I wonder about their motivation, maybe something more intuitive? I find myself wondering: what kind of light did they find themselves in when capturing the Pater? Editor: The way you describe the light makes me look at it differently. Before, it felt more like documentation, but now I sense that spiritual dimension you’re talking about. Curator: Indeed, the print offers this amazing kind of tension that vibrates between objective capture and romantic feeling. Do you notice how that tension is palpable in that courtyard captured by Bonfils? The courtyard feels to be held within those columns...as though waiting. Editor: Yes, it does have a quality of stillness to it, like a captured breath. It's amazing how much richer the photograph becomes when you start thinking about the photographer’s perspective, even after so much time has passed. Curator: It’s always more rewarding when a work reaches us across all those years, and teaches us something! Don't you think?