Intérieur de l'Eglise de l'Anonciation à Nazareth

Accession Number
1994/2.29.8

Title
Intérieur de l'Eglise de l'Anonciation à Nazareth

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
This photograph shows an interior view of the former Church of the Annunciation (demolished and rebuilt in the twentieth century), which has been richly appointed in a highly decorative, nineteenth-century historicist vein. Two identical staircases terminate at a landing on which rests an elaborately cast metal shrine surrounded by numerous tall candlesticks. While the composition is mostly symmetrical, Bonfils adjusts the view slightly so that the shrine can be seen from behind a large chandelier in the foreground, and so that the wooden pulpit can fit into the frame on the left-hand side.  Rows of pointed arches with a small, star-studded dome provide an overall structure for the composition, and they also reference medieval architectural traditions. Obscured by the angle of the photograph, a central stair descends to a lower chamber, where can be seen a number of hanging lamps, chandeliers, and classical columns. 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
Near-symmetrical interior view of a lavishly decorated building.

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
Franciscan
chandeliers (hanging lights)
churches (buildings)
interior views
pointed arches
pulpits
travel photography

2 Related Resources

Christian Churches
(Part of 2 Learning Collections)
Grief and Mourning Rituals
(Part of 5 Learning Collections)

& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted