Versailles, Grand Triannon (Buffet par Mansard) 1902

Eugène Atget's photograph captures the Buffet par Mansard at Versailles, Grand Trianon, and it's like stepping back in time with him, imagining the moment he chose his frame. The sepia tones give everything a sense of history, but it's more than just a record. It's like Atget is having a quiet conversation with Mansard, the architect. You can almost feel him trying to get at the essence of this elaborate fountain through his lens. What was he thinking as he framed the symmetrical display of sculpture, the stillness of the water? Atget, like all artists, was part of a bigger story. He was probably thinking about the history of photography, the possibilities of capturing light and shadow. He was also probably looking back to the art of the past and how he could translate that into his own time. Artists are always responding to something—to each other, to the past, to the future.