Gezicht op de Saint Sépulchrekerk in Jeruzalem (Palestine/Saint-Sépulchre - Jérusalem) c. 1872

This photograph of the Saint-Sépulchre Church in Jerusalem was taken by Maison Bonfils. Consider the gaze of the photographers, a family-run business, and their position as outsiders looking in. Their photographs, while seemingly objective, were shaped by a western perspective, influencing how the land and its people were perceived. The image invokes questions around colonialism, representation, and the power dynamics inherent in viewing a place through a foreign lens. The act of photographing the church becomes a statement about cultural exchange and the imperialistic tendencies of the time, freezing a moment that is both historical and deeply personal. How does this photograph, taken with the intent of documentation, also become a narrative about identity and cultural heritage? What stories are told, and perhaps untold, in this rendering of a sacred space?