Exploring the Alhambra

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Images in Time: A Century of Photography at the Alhambra 1840–1940

Javier Pinar (editor)

The 14th-century palace and fortress complex of the Alhambra, in Granada, Spain represents the final bastion of Moorish culture in continental Europe.

While the catalogue of an exhibition of early photographs of the Alhambra, held in the Palace of Charles V at the Alhambra complex in 2003, might seem an arcane subject, the photos themselves and the accompanying essays provide a fascinating exploration of this iconic site. Though the exhibition ended nearly a decade ago, the catalogue is of continuing interest to any general reader concerned with 19th-century tourism, architecture, Moorish life, or any aspect of Romantic art and literature.  The photographs cover all aspects of the mediaeval complex, from close-ups of architectural details to artefacts such as vases and swords, from intimate interiors of the Moorish palaces to panoramic shots of the walled fort against the snow capped Sierra Nevada.  The images that will be most familiar are shots of the famous Lion’s Court and Myrtle Court, whose fortunes can be traced from the romantic neglect of the early 19th century, with crumbling arches and overgrown vegetation, to later post-restoration shots of empty but pristine courtyards whose mesmeric stucco ornamentation reveals more oriental fantasy than authentic Moorish design. 

While several of the essays concentrate on early photographic techniques, most offer a more general cultural history, focusing on photos as souvenirs, interpretations of the Alhambra, the restoration of the complex and individual photographers.  There is an intriguing study of the enigmatic Welshman Charles Clifford who, like many early photographers, was linked to the British secret service. He secured himself a press pass to document a royal visit to southern Spain – a region of strategic interest as the gateway to Africa, whose enormous resources were waiting to be exploited.  Other essays explore the continuing photographic appeal of this mysterious complex.  One of the first to arrive with a camera was the French novelist Theophile Gautier who, in 1840, as a foreign correspondent of the Revue de Deux-Mondes, complained that the numerous English gave a totally false impression by exaggerating the grandeur of the spaces.  Indeed, many of the earliest photographers came initially to document the architecture, but soon realized the commercial potential of the exotic site and began peopling their photos with picturesque gypsies, said to be descended from the original Moors.  By the end of the century such calculating intrusions ensured that photography lost its moral authority as a purveyor of absolute truth.  Today, as this catalogue demonstrates, photography is simply one of many tools used by historians attempting to chart our shifting understanding of the past.

Images in Time:  A Century of Photography at the Alhambra 1840–1940 by Javier Pinar (editor) is published by Patronata de la Alhambra y Generalife and Tf. Editores, Spain, and the Antique Collectors Club. 204 pp., 141 mono illus. ISBN: 84-86827-01-9