Grotte de la Nativité—Cave of the Nativity
Felix Bonfils
Description
Subject Matter:
This photograph provides a frontal view of a hearth-like space surrounded by draping fabrics of different patterns and textures. Hanging lamps and small framed paintings,likely of biblical subjects, further adorn the intimate space. The “Cave of the Nativity” indeed feels underground, an effect reinforced by the staircase that leads up and out of the image along the left-hand side. A bright light from behind the camera illuminates the scene and creates shadows along the perimeter of the photograph. This image is one of hundreds of photographs made throughout Bonfils' career which purport to document various landscapes, cityscapes, and people of the eastern Mediterranean.
Physical Description:
Frontal view of an altar space surrounded by draped fabrics with different patterns and materials. A staircase ascends out of the frame on the left-hand side of the image.
Usage Rights:
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