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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Three: Expressing human values > Stone Gate Chapel, Zagreb, Croatia, 2005
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03-SEP-2005

Stone Gate Chapel, Zagreb, Croatia, 2005

This chapel is lodged in the only remaining 13th century gate to the old town of Gradec, now part of Zagreb's historic Upper Town. In 1731 a fire ravaged the area but a religious painting on the wall was left undamaged. Hundreds of visitors a day still come to this chapel to see the painting and stay a few moments to stand or stand or sit in silence before the painting. I waited until the crowds thinned, and only two visitors remained. They chose to sit in the rear, as far away from the actual shrine as possible, yet still be within view of it. Solitude is a human value, and this image is largely about being alone with one’s thoughts and prayers. Peacefulness is another human value, and there is a pervasive sense of silence coming from this image. By isolating just one couple in the darkness of the otherwise empty chapel, such values can find a voice. The woman is the most prominent, because she sits closest to the light of the street that runs through the old gate. A man can be dimly seen behind her. The votive plaques that line the walls of the chapel are also almost invisible. They comprise a contextual tapestry of faith for those who notice them and recognize their significance.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20
1/13s f/2.8 at 7.8mm iso80 hide exif
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Date/Time03-Sep-2005 19:02:19
MakePanasonic
ModelDMC-FZ20
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length7.8 mm
Exposure Time1/13 sec
Aperturef/2.8
ISO Equivalent80
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Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Programprogram (2)
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Phil Douglis18-Nov-2005 19:23
Thanks, Rudi, for so beautifully describing the importance of the context offered by the votive plaques in this image. And also for voicing your thoughts about the story this picture tells to you. That is the ultimate mission of an expressive photograph -- to trigger a train of thought and emotion in the viewer, activating the imagination and kindling old memories.
Rudi Neumaier 18-Nov-2005 18:55
Peacefulness i can see in this picture, loneliness i only saw at first. I do love the way the light leads the eyes from the left into the picture. The woman's colours contradict the chapel's brownish shades. But this picture is throbbing with prayers and 'thank yous', coming out of the dimly lit background. You can find these votive plaques in many old churches all over Europe; they beg for help in case of sickness or for an exam or something else or they say 'thank you' for some help that people feel has been provided. When i looked at this picture for the first time, a little church in Central Switzerland came to my mind, where i had seen these plaques for the first time. That chapel was bright with light and i thought it is funny, people are doing things like this. But it has stayed in the back of my mind for more than 15 years to pop up again now.
And here i can hear it, even if i do not understand the language. To me this woman is seeking comfort too. What would a young, stylish woman do in a chapel like this? Cultural interests? Her body language tells me that she is not just looking at the painting. Her hands are put together but not folded, there is a man in the background. Maybe she has to come to a decision, but maybe she is thinking of her beloved grandmother, who died a while ago. A picture telling a story with an open ending...
Phil Douglis20-Oct-2005 00:51
I don't think this image needs to be "saved" by cropping in on the woman. By doing so, we would remove the context that make this photograph express the human value of solitude. Take away all that space, and she is no longer alone with her thoughts.
Denny Crane 19-Oct-2005 21:12
The background doesn't have much information as its almost invisible as you say. You need an explanation and imagination to fill in the blanks.
Here's what I'd do to save this picture: crop tightly around the beautiful-looking female and the wooden structure in front of her that she's got her feet on. Lose the guy's head, too -- it takes away from her and doesn't add anything to the picture.
Rhetorical question: I think the woman looks and dresses like a beautiful babe, so why not call her a beautiful babe? Wouldn't most men and many women use the term? I'm trying to be politically correct here, just in case political correctness is still in fashion. Oh never mind.
Phil Douglis17-Oct-2005 18:57
In Croatia, religion is very public. Its people are devout, and they show it at every opportunity. Yes, this chapel is open to the street that passes through this historic gateway in Zagreb's old city. To stop and pray and meditate in public here is similar to how Belgians stop to reach out and touch the brass body of their own hero as they pass through the gate leading to Brussels' Grand Place. (http://www.pbase.com/pnd1/image/45574245 ) As you yourself noted when commenting on that image, the touching ritual is a form of renewal, even an expression of reverence. Very much what we also see and feel in this image.
Kal Khogali17-Oct-2005 12:28
The main inconguity for me here is the public nature of this private mediatation. It is somewhere in between, an open sanctuary. I wonder, because I have never seen such a thing, a chapel open to the eyes outside. If I were in charge of the church, I would do this more, perhaps if people saw the peace, they would join it?
Phil Douglis09-Oct-2005 16:45
Prayer, meditation, peace -- all are aspects of the same thing: slowing down, relaxing, clearing the mind and allowing the brain to rest and renew itself. That is what is happening here, Dandan.
Guest 09-Oct-2005 10:44
Very peaceful, indeed! Look at this image; it makes me feel the needs to slow down!
Phil Douglis08-Oct-2005 01:22
Nice concept, Tim. The past morphs into the present, only to become the past again. This woman represents your idea quite well.
Tim May05-Oct-2005 18:04
What I am drawn to here is the transition of time. The ancient is still revered. The very modern woman caps this sense of transition.
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