Accession Number
1994/2.34.5

Title
Ruines de Capernaüm—Ruins of Capernaum

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
The fragments of large stone columns provide temporary furniture for weary visitors to the ancient city of Capernaum. In the lower-left corner of the image, three men evidently converse with one another while at rest. One man stands, one sits, and one reclines on a divan-sized chunk of stone. A fourth figure sits on a piece of stone on the opposite side of the image, appearing lost in contemplation. Faint strips of light and medium tones in the photograph’s upper register indicate the Sea of Galilee and distant hills. 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
In this photograph four men rest and converse amid a field of ancient ruins. 

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Primary Object Type
landscape

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
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Keywords
hills
men (male humans)
rubble
ruins
travel photography