Damascus Gate, Jerusalem

I served as the U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem from 2003-2005. I have many books, photos, and old stereo cards on the history of the city. One is a stereo card view in the Keystone  "Palestine" set, #10909, which shows the Damascus Gate in the city's north wall.  It was evidently taken from a high rooftop opposite the gate, looking down, and it must have been quite an operation to set up the shot back around 1900, when the image was made. The structures in the foreground are no longer there. I decided on this watercolor not only to remember how things once were, but especially to remind myself of the many enjoyable walks that I have taken in the streets of the Old City. Unfortunately, Jerusalem is often in the news as a focal point for conflict among different religious traditions, but it is important also to remember that it is also a place of immense beauty and meaning for all faiths. That is what I sought to capture here.

This painting is matted and framed to 14.5 x 16 inches with a light mat, raw waxed ash wood frame and conservation-grade anti-UV protective museum glass.