Jérusalem, Porte d'Hérode

Art Historical Context

Step through the ancient gateway of Jérusalem, Porte d'Hde (Jerusalem, Herod's), captured in this evocative 1854 salted paper print by French photographer Auguste Salzmann. by the innovative Imprimerie photographique deanquart-Évrard in Lille, the image measures 23.1 x 33 cm and reveals the weathered stone archway of this historic portal, a key entry to the Old City amid Jerusalem's timeless landscapes. Salzmann's work, part of his pioneering photographic expedition to the Holy Land, offers visitors a window into mid-19th-century views of sacred sites. This salted paper print, made from a paper negative using the calotype process, exemplifies early photography's technical marvels. Blanquart-Évrard's method allowed for multiple high-quality prints from a single negative, revolutionizing the medium's reproducibility and accessibility—unlike unique daguerreotypes. The soft tonal gradations and subtle details evoke the era's romantic fascination with Orientalism and biblical archaeology, amid the Ottoman Empire's Holy Land. Salzmann's documentation, begun in 1853 during rising tensions before the Crimean War, holds immense cultural value as one of the first photographic records of Jerusalem's architecture. Preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, it invites us to ponder the enduring allure of these ancient stones, blending art, history, and exploration.

About the Artist

Auguste Salzmann|Imprimerie photographique de Blanquart-Évrard, à Lille · 1824–1872

Born 15 april 1824. Salzmann travelled to Palestine in 1850 to 1851 as a draughtsman for a French expedition to the East. Salzmann returned to Paris, France in 1851 and learned photography which he used as an aid to his archaeological research. In 1853 Salzmann was commissioned by the Ministry of Public Instruction to visit Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and the islands of the Archipelago to photograph ...