Accession Number
1994/2.32.6

Title
Église de la Nativité, intérieur—Church of the Nativity, interior

Artist(s)
Felix Bonfils

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1867-1885

Medium & Support
albumen print on paper

Dimensions
10 15/16 in x 14 in (27.78 cm x 35.56 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Margaret and Howard Bond

Subject matter
This photograph provides an interior view of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. A Greco-Roman style column provides a central axis for the composition, which is divided in half. The left-hand side of the image shows a short, round staircase leading down to an open portal. The right-hand depicts an ornately carved, and possibly gilded, vestibule—likely a side chapel or shrine—which is on a raised dais. Chandeliers covered in cloth are suspended amid other hanging lamps and ornaments. This image is one of hundreds of photographs made throughout Bonfils' career which purport to document various landscapes, cityscapes, and people of the eastern Mediterranean. 

Physical Description
Interior view of a church with numerous hanging chandeliers and pendant lamps, along with classical architectural elements. 

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
churches (buildings)
engaged columns
hanging lamps
historic structures
interior views
travel photography