Versailles, Bosquet de l'Arc de Triomphe 1904

This is Eugène Atget’s photograph, Versailles, Bosquet de l'Arc de Triomphe. There's a sense of stillness, a kind of quiet observation, in the way Atget captured this scene. The tones are muted, almost monochromatic, lending a timeless quality to the image. It’s a document, sure, but it also feels like a meditation. The photograph has a beautiful texture. You can almost feel the roughness of the stone in the sculptures. The light catches on the leaves scattered across the base, creating these tiny pockets of contrast that draw you in. Look at the way the figure on the left seems lost in thought. There's a melancholy to it, like a forgotten monument in a forgotten corner of the garden. Atget reminds me a bit of Bernd and Hilla Becher, those German photographers who methodically documented industrial structures. But while the Bechers were all about objective cataloging, Atget brings something else to the table. There’s a poetic sensibility, a feeling that he’s not just recording what’s there but also responding to it on a deeper level. It's art, for sure.