Versailles, Bosquet de l'Arc de Triomphe 1904

This is "Versailles, Bosquet de l'Arc de Triomphe," a photograph made by Eugène Atget, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. It’s a simple photo, straightforward, but the muted tones give it a ghostly quality, like something seen through time. The photo captures a statue in the Versailles gardens, a figure caught mid-stride, draped in fabric. Look closely, and you'll see the texture of the stone, the way the light catches the folds of the statue's clothing, each detail meticulously rendered. It's this interplay of light and shadow that gives the image its depth. The background trees, the distant bench, they’re all secondary to the statue. Atget was a master of composition, framing his subjects with an eye for detail and the odd, surreal poetry that can be found in everyday life. There's something about the deliberate way he’s framed the statue, that reminds me of the photographic work of Bernd and Hilla Becher. Like Atget, they were interested in the art of seeing, and sharing what they saw.