Jerusalem, Valley of Josaphat, Tomb of St. James (Jérusalem, Vallée de Josaphat, Tombeau de Saint Jacques)
1854, printed 1856
Medium
Salted paper print
Dimensions
Image: 23.4 × 32.2 cm (9 1/4 × 12 11/16 in.); Paper: 41.4 × 58.5 cm (16 5/16 × 23 1/16 in.)
Classification
salted paper print
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
60084
Art Historical Context
In the mid-19th century, photographer Auguste Salzmann embarked on a pioneering expedition to Jerusalem, capturing its ancient holy sites with one of the era's earliest photographic processes.Jerusalem, Valley of Josaphat, Tomb of St. James* (1854, printed 1856 depicts the serene yet evocative Valley of Josaphat a biblical site linked to the prophesied gathering of nations for Judgment Day (Joel 3:2), and the Tomb of St. James the Less, a revered Christian pilgrimage spot nestled among olive trees and stone monuments. This salted paper print, measuring 23.4 × 32.2 cm, offers a hauntingly detai...
About the Artist
Auguste Salzmann · 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 ...