Versailles, Bosquet de l' Arc de Triomphe 1901

Curator: This gelatin silver print, "Versailles, Bosquet de l'Arc de Triomphe," was captured in 1901 by Eugène Atget. Editor: The tonality is really striking; the sepia hues lend this whole scene a rather antiquated feel. A grand sculpture dominates the foreground and other small statues dot the distant landscape. Curator: Atget documented the rapidly changing urban environment of Paris and its surrounding areas, but did you know his work was also aimed to act as a resource? Sculptors and other craft workers often referenced his images of gardens and architecture in France. His meticulous attention to detail was very valuable to them. Editor: I see that. Look how the classical figure wrestles with what appears to be a wild boar; there's real drama captured even within the still image of the monument. And it becomes so alive when contextualized against those lush trees. It's a fascinating clash between artifice and nature, don't you think? Curator: The gardens themselves were places of carefully controlled social display. Versailles wasn't simply a green space; it was a stage setting where social hierarchies were physically manifest. Consider how much manual labor it would require to keep the statues clean, the hedges trimmed, the pathways swept, a constant visual reminder of labor undergirding aristocratic leisure. Editor: Absolutely. The way the artist framed the photograph itself highlights that controlled viewing experience too. Atget’s composition pulls the viewer into the scene, inviting us to gaze upon a symbol of French classicism. Curator: It is important to consider the broader consumption of images, as Atget produced thousands of photographs sold as documents rather than as artworks, to be integrated in various ways into commercial and artistic trades. The making of the artwork extends far beyond the moment he clicked the shutter, from creation of materials for the prints themselves to its end use for someone to work in service of. Editor: Interesting perspective. For me, Atget's skill is undeniable; he masterfully captures the light and shadow, creating a captivating record of a specific moment in the evolution of Versailles. Curator: Agreed. Considering his larger body of work, we realize that Atget invites us to look beyond just aesthetics of beauty and more to that moment in France when these older traditions meet the social pressures of modernity. Editor: This work resonates beyond just subject or formal structure and truly communicates the nature of how the nation once held onto ideals.