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Nain

Felix Bonfils

Artwork Details

Nain
circa 1867-1885
Felix Bonfils
​albumen print on paper
10 15/16 in x 14 in (27.78 cm x 35.56 cm)
Gift of Margaret and Howard Bond
1994/2.29.2

Description

Subject Matter:

In this photograph, a narrow ribbon of flat rooftops in the distance indicates the village of Nain. Intersecting rows of trees, shrubs, and cacti, as well as nearly imperceptible stone walls, crisscross through the fields of long grass in the foreground. The distant hills provide an imposing backdrop for the meager village at their feet and form a high, undulating horizon line. An uneven strip of blank sky fills the upper third of the photograph. This image is one of hundreds of photographs made throughout Bonfils's career which purport to document various landscapes, cityscapes, and people of the eastern Mediterranean.

Physical Description:

Fields of tall grass, along with trees and other foliage in the foreground recede away from the viewer toward the feet of the hills in the background. Two-thirds up from the bottom of the photograph, a small grouping of flat rooftops suggest a small settlement. 

Usage Rights:

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