Ruïne van het hospitaal van de heilige Johannes, Jeruzalem c. 1867 - 1877

Captured by Félix Bonfils, this photograph presents the Ruin of the Hospital of Saint John in Jerusalem, preserving a moment in time with light-sensitive materials. The composition is dominated by the architectural remains, their stone textures rendered in subtle tonal variations. The fragmented structure invites a semiotic reading of absence and decay. The play of light and shadow articulates the depth and volume of the space, with the ruined walls forming a complex grid that both reveals and conceals. This fragmentation speaks not only to physical ruin but also to the instability of historical narratives. Consider how the photographer positions us, the viewers, within this scene. The crumbling facade acts as a screen, through which we glimpse a past that is irrevocably altered. Bonfils’ photograph thus becomes a meditation on the very act of seeing, of interpreting the fragments that remain.