Graftombe van koning David op de Berg Sion bij Jeruzalem c. 1867 - 1895

Curator: What a haunting vista! The sepia tones lend an immediate air of antiquity. Editor: Indeed. We’re looking at a gelatin silver print dating from around 1867 to 1895, created by Maison Bonfils. It is currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection and is entitled, "Tomb of King David on Mount Zion near Jerusalem." Curator: It's intriguing how the composition is divided. The foreground, a jumble of seemingly chaotic stone markers, versus the architectural stability in the background—the solid mausoleum structure. There is a fascinating tension there. Editor: And those stones, while chaotic at first glance, tell a story, don't they? Bonfils, through this image, gives us access to a highly contested sacred site. Understanding the politics of photography at the time – its use as a tool of documentation but also, invariably, of power – is crucial here. He was, after all, creating this image for a Western audience eager to consume images of the Holy Land. Curator: I'm struck by how the light reveals form here, look how light defines each plane. It’s not overly dramatic; it maintains a serene objectivity. Editor: Perhaps, but that very objectivity has a power to it. It suggests authenticity and the documentary truth when of course, that’s always constructed, even back then! Consider the way Bonfils positioned himself—he is creating a particular narrative by focusing our attention on a contested area, specifically between different groups and the role photography played in this tension. Curator: Regardless, there’s a quiet dignity, enhanced through that muted palette of earth tones, in both the landscape and architectural elements. It feels removed from the immediate. Editor: It reminds us that every photograph, even one that aims to simply record, also interprets, comments, and takes a side. Curator: Well, whatever the politics at play, that stark beauty remains undiminished today, it’s something to behold. Editor: It gives one much to contemplate, about then, and now.