Accession Number
1994/2.33.4

Title
Mosquée El-Aksa—El-Aksa mosque

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 shows the front façade of the Al-Aksa Mosque, presented just off-center. Three main portals are ensconced by pointed arches. Framing the main entrance are two rows of massive trees, possibly cypress, which line the stone terrace in front of the mosque. Underneath the closest tree on the left-hand side is a solitary figure seated on a ledge as he looks down at his lap. Most of the picture is dominated by light and medium tones, save for the portals of the mosque, the trees, and this figure. A dry fountain lies in the foreground between the rows of trees. The white building, in fact, almost blends in with both the sky and the pavement. 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
Exterior view of a building façade with three arched portals, framed by two rows of large trees that span almost the entire height of the photograph.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
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Keywords
fountains
historic buildings
mosques (buildings)
pointed arches
travel photography
trees