Versailles, Vase 1905

Editor: Here we have Eugène Atget's "Versailles, Vase" from 1905, a black and white print. The vase looks quite imposing, almost monumental within the garden setting. What jumps out to you? Curator: It's fascinating how Atget uses photography to document these artifacts, almost as industrial or inventory records. The image captures not just the vase, but the process of preservation and commodification of Versailles itself. Consider the labour involved in creating and maintaining these objects, both the vase and the garden. Who benefited from this labor? Editor: I never thought about it that way! I was focused on the classical references in the vase’s decoration, but you’re right. This photo also documents labor. Does the photo also challenge what is deemed "high art"? Curator: Precisely! Atget’s documentary style disrupts the hierarchy. Is it fine art, or simply a record of a manufactured object within a constructed landscape? The materials, the labor to produce it, the function within Versailles' economy, become the focal point through Atget's lens, challenging conventional aesthetics. What materials went into making that vase and maintaining its surroundings? And who had access to the vase versus who made the vase? Editor: That’s really insightful. It makes me reconsider Atget's role not just as a photographer, but as a social commentator through documenting these objects and spaces. Curator: Exactly! By focusing on the tangible reality – the vase’s material, its physical presence, and its historical context of making, Atget directs our attention to the often-invisible systems of labor and consumption embedded within these seemingly timeless works of art. Hopefully that inspires you to focus your art history lenses differently. Editor: I appreciate you sharing your perspective, it’s changed how I see this image completely!