XIV Station 1870s

Félix Bonfils captured "XIV Station" in the late 19th century using a photographic process that imbued the scene with a warm, sepia tone. During this period, photography played a crucial role in shaping Western perceptions of the Middle East. Bonfils, a Frenchman working in Beirut, catered to a growing market of European tourists and scholars eager to visualize biblical landscapes and religious sites. The photograph depicts the interior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, specifically the site marking the fourteenth station of the cross—Jesus's burial. The photograph aestheticizes the sacred space, framing it through a colonial gaze that often romanticized and exoticized the region. Notice the composition, where religious figures are placed within a grand architectural setting, emphasizing the power and history of the church. It's impossible to ignore how the image might have reinforced a sense of Western ownership and dominance over these historically significant, yet contested, lands. The photograph serves as a poignant reminder of the complex interplay between faith, colonialism, and representation.