Roseaux, Étang du Plessis-Piquet 1919 - 1921

Eugène Atget captured this scene of reeds at Étang du Plessis-Piquet with his camera. The dark stalks of grass, or maybe reeds, shoot up and across the frame in a tangle of sepia. I can almost feel Atget out there, waiting for the light, composing the scene. Imagine him carefully arranging his camera, maybe feeling a little envious of the plants, free to soak in the pond all day! It’s interesting how the light catches the water, blurring the line between solid and liquid, plant and reflection. This makes me think about how so many artists are drawn to similar subjects, the way water reflects light. Atget, like those painters, was interested in capturing something fleeting and ephemeral. This photograph reminds us that artists are always in conversation, riffing off one another’s ideas across time.