Church of St. Joseph, Nazareth, Interior

Accession Number
1994/2.29.9

Title
Church of St. Joseph, Nazareth, Interior

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 (35.5 cm x 27.8 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Margaret and Howard Bond

Subject matter
This photograph provides a head-on view of an altar outfitted with tall candlesticks, rose bouquets, and a gilded cross, which stands beneath a framed oil painting of a teenage Christ with Mary and Joseph in a carpentry workshop. This painting is counterposed by a smaller, circular painting of the same three figures (this time with Christ presented as a young child) set into the base of the altar. Wooden cabinets, above which are hung additional small-scale paintings, flank the altar on either side, though these are mostly cropped out of the photograph. 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
Close-up view of an altar on which stands a cross, candlesticks, and flower bouquets. A large oil painting hangs above the altar. 

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
candles
churches (buildings)
oil painting (technique)
shrines (structures)
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