The Dead Sea – Jerusalem. From the journey to Palestine

The Dead Sea – Jerusalem. From the Journey to Palestine combines two of the most symbolically loaded sites in the Christian imagination — the Dead Sea and Jerusalem — in a single title, suggesting a view that encompasses both the dead lake and the holy city in the same prospect. From the hills west of Jericho it is indeed possible to see both the Dead Sea and the distant hills of Jerusalem simultaneously. Ciągliński's panoramic ambition in this work reflects the desire to encompass the entire sacred geography of Palestine within a single painted view.

The panoramic composition moves from the Dead Sea's flat, hazy surface in the middle distance to the hills and horizon beyond. The palette combines the silver-grey of the lake with the ochre and warm brown of the Judean hills. Atmospheric perspective dissolves the distant horizon.