Vue de Jérusalem prise du Mont des Oliviers

Accession Number
1994/2.30.3

Title
Vue de Jérusalem prise du Mont des Oliviers

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
Two women, one standing and one seated, are placed near a tree amid barren and rocky terrain in the foreground of the photograph. They both look back at the viewer with ambiguous expressions; the standing woman’s facial features are largely obscured by the shadow of the tree and the basket on her head. While both women clearly acknowledge the presence of the photographer, whether or not they posed for the photograph remains unclear. The Old City of Jerusalem, identifiable as such from the prominent Mosque of Saint Omar (present-day Dome of the Rock), rests along the horizon line. 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
Two women stand or sit beneath a tree in the right foreground, with a walled city in the distance. 

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
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Keywords
cityscapes (representations)
cultural landscapes
domes (architectural elements)
hills
natural landscapes
travel photography
trees
women (female humans)

& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted