Gezicht op Jeruzalem vanuit het zuiden 1854 - 1856

Auguste Salzmann created this photographic print titled "Gezicht op Jeruzalem vanuit het zuiden" using a calotype process. The photograph's tonal range is narrow, with soft gradations that evoke a contemplative mood. The composition divides into three horizontal bands: the foreground slope with rough textures, the mid-ground where the city walls and structures are placed, and the distant horizon line. Salzmann's choice to depict Jerusalem from a distance transforms the city into an almost abstract arrangement of forms. This approach aligns with the formalist ideas prevalent in art theory at the time, emphasizing the photographic medium’s unique capacity to distill a scene into its elemental geometric shapes and tonal values. The photograph invites us to consider Jerusalem not just as a historical site but as an interplay of light and shadow, texture and form. Its enduring relevance lies in its power to continually re-interpret and re-present.