Versailles, Fontaine dans la Cour de Marbre 1903

This photograph of a fountain in Versailles was captured by Eugène Atget, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century, using a large format camera. What strikes me is the way Atget coaxes a full tonal range from what appears to be a limited palette of grays. It’s a quiet image, one that invites contemplation. I like how Atget allows the fountain to exist in relation to its surroundings; it's not isolated but embedded in the texture of the wall, and the cobblestones beneath. The fountain itself is an ornate structure of stone or metal, with a grotesque mask spouting water from its mouth. It’s almost as if the mask is a kind of found mark or gesture that has been highlighted by Atget's sensitive attention. Atget was a master of capturing the spirit of a place. His work reminds me a bit of Bernd and Hilla Becher, in that he documented these objects and architectural details with such care, elevating the mundane to the level of art. His vision reminds us that art is always in conversation with what came before, each work building upon the ideas and images of the past.