Versailles, Coin de Parc 1903

Eugène Atget's "Versailles, Coin de Parc" is a poignant photograph that captures a solitary sculpture in the expansive gardens of the Palace of Versailles. Taken in 1903, the image showcases Atget's mastery of the pictorialist style, using soft focus and a tonal range to create a sense of melancholic beauty. The statue, shrouded in drapery, stands alone in the vastness of the garden, highlighting the theme of transience and human insignificance amidst grand architecture and nature. This photograph is one of many that Atget captured of the gardens of Versailles, which he saw as a reflection of France's glorious past. It is currently part of the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.