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Rue de la Montagne-Sainte-Geneviève
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Eugène Atget became a photographer in the 1890s. His goal, like that of Charles Marville decades before, was to document the old buildings and streets of Paris before they were demolished. This narrow street, the site of the founding of the University of Paris in 1112, ends in a church built in the 1600s. Atget sold his photographs not as art but as “documents for artists,” similar in purpose to the nude studies other photographers made for use by painters. That may be why he photographed early in the morning, when a normally bustling street like this one was empty.
| Artist / Maker | Eugène Atget |
|---|---|
| Date | 1898 |
| Culture / Origin | France, 20th century |
| Medium | albumen print, gold toned |
| Dimensions | Image: 22 x 17.4 cm (8 11/16 x 6 7/8 in.); Matted: 45.7 x 35.6 cm (18 x 14 in.) |
| Department | Photography |
| Type | Photograph |
About the Artist
Eugène Atget French, 1857-1927 Relatively unknown to the public during his lifetime, Eugène Atget is today an icon -- one of the most celebrated and influential photographers of the 20th century. Born near Bordeaux, Atget first directed his efforts to painting and the stage before turning to photography shortly before 1890. He is best known for his documentary scenes of Paris and Versailles, but he photographed a number of other sites as well. Atget viewed his work as a historical… Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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