Roseaux, Étang du Plessis-Piquet 1919 - 1921

This photograph, *Roseaux, Étang du Plessis-Piquet*, was captured by Eugène Atget, and the sepia tones feel like a memory already. Atget was all about process; his methodical approach to documenting Paris and its surroundings feels almost like a scientific endeavor. Look at how the light glances off the reeds in the water, creating these almost calligraphic marks. The whole image feels like a study in texture - the rough, dense reeds against the smooth, reflective water. The dark, tangled mass of vegetation is echoed in the reflected images that are stretched and blurred. Our eyes are drawn into the depth of the image, a space that feels both inviting and impenetrable. I'm reminded of the tonalist painters like Whistler, who were also exploring mood and atmosphere through subtle variations in tone. Like them, Atget’s work embraces ambiguity, inviting us to linger and find our own meaning in the image.