Mont des Oliviers 1870s

Editor: This is "Mont des Oliviers," taken in the 1870s by Félix Bonfils. It’s an albumen print, so the tones are wonderfully warm, sepia-like. There’s something so calm and pastoral about this landscape; how would you interpret this work? Curator: It’s tempting to see this as just a tranquil landscape, but the Mount of Olives is far from neutral. It’s laden with religious significance, specifically within a Christian context. Bonfils was part of a larger movement of photographers who aimed to document the Holy Land in the 19th century, reinforcing Western Christian narratives and often romanticizing the region. Consider the role photography played in shaping European perceptions of the East at this time. What does Bonfils choose to show us, and perhaps more importantly, what does he leave out? Editor: That’s a good point. The image is undeniably beautiful, but focusing on the aesthetic beauty, maybe I’m overlooking the colonial undertones, and the power dynamics inherent in photographing a place like this at the time. The serenity almost feels... imposed. Curator: Precisely. And it’s worth considering how these images were circulated and consumed back in Europe and North America. They weren't just landscape photos; they were commodities, feeding into a Western desire for the exotic, reinforcing specific ideas about the region. Do you think knowing that impacts how you view it now? Editor: Absolutely. I see how understanding the historical context changes everything. It reminds me that art isn’t created in a vacuum. I need to always think about the cultural baggage within each image. Curator: Indeed. We both learn from exploring beyond surface level details. It becomes crucial to ask: Whose story is being told, and why?