Accession Number
1994/2.28.7

Title
Intérieur de l'Ecce Homo – Interior of the "Ecce Homo"

Artist(s)
Felix Bonfils

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1867-1885

Medium & Support
albumen print on paper

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

Credit Line
Gift of Margaret and Howard Bond

Subject matter
In this photograph, Bonfils presents a view inside the sanctuary of the Church of the “Ecce Homo” in Jerusalem. The altar, which sits upon a dais behind a balustrade with two kneeling angelic sculptures on either side, is shown head-on and at eye-level. Above the altar a sculpture of the Virgin Mary stands on a ledge in front of a rounded-arch opening; she is flanked on both sides by multi-armed candelabras. The opening behind the sculpture, which is likely an unlit chamber, reads as a mostly empty void save for the outline of a doorframe. Suspended in front of the altar is an elaborate chandelier. Bonfils adjusts the viewpoint slightly so that this chandelier does not obstruct the view of the sculpture of Mary. This slight adjustment disrupts the otherwise near-perfect symmetry of the composition. This image is one of hundreds of photographs made throughout Bonfils's career which purport to document various landscapes, cityscapes, and people of the eastern Mediterranean.

Physical Description
An interior scene with an eye-level view of a church altar with low-relief carvings on the façade situated on a raised dais behind a balustrade and flanked by two sculpted angelic figures. Above is a rounded-arch opening in which sits a sculpture of a female figure with candelabras on either side. A chandelier hangs in front of the altar.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
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Keywords
altars (religious fixtures)
chandeliers (hanging lights)
interior views
pilgrimage churches (buildings)