Atget

by Eugène Atget (Photographer), John Szarkowski

Eugène Atget (1857–1927) devoted more than 30 years of his life to a rigorous documentation of Paris, its environs and the French countryside, through more than 8,000 photographs. In the process, he created an oeuvre that brilliantly delineates the richness, complexity and character of his native culture. Atget’s uncompromising eye recorded the picturesque villages and landscape of France; the storied chateaux and the romantic parks and gardens of the ancien régime of Louis XIV; and, in post-Haussmann Paris, architectural details, private courtyards, shop windows, curious buildings and streets, and the city’s various denizens. Atget died almost unknown in 1927, although groups of his prints were included in various Paris archives. In 1925 Berenice Abbott discovered his work, and after his death she arranged to buy his archives with the help of art dealer Julien Levy; in 1968 that collection was purchased by The Museum of Modern Art.

Originally published in 2000 and long unavailable, this classic, superbly produced volume surveys the collection through 100 carefully selected photographs. John Szarkowski, head of MoMA’s Department of Photography from 1962 to 1991, explores the unique sensibilities that made Atget one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century and a vital influence on the development of modern and contemporary photography. An introductory text and commentaries on Atget’s photographs form an extended essay on the remarkable visual intelligence displayed in these subtle, sometimes enigmatic photographs.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, Urbanism, France

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Eugène Atget was a French photographer best known for his photographs of the architecture and streets of Paris. He took up photography in the late 1880s and supplied studies for painters, architects, and stage designers. Atget began shooting Paris in 1898 using a large format view camera to capture the city in detail. His photographs, many of which were taken at dawn, are notable for their diffuse light and wide views that give a sense of space and ambience. They also document Paris and its rapid changes; many of the areas Atget photographed were soon to be razed as part of massive modernization projects.

Atget’s photographs drew the admiration of a variety of artists, most notably Man Ray, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso. Man Ray even used one of Atget’s photographs for the cover of his surrealist magazine la Révolution surréaliste. The photographer Berenice Abbott preserved Atget’s prints and negatives and was the first person to exhibit Atget’s work outside of France.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Szarkowski's writing keeps you engaged and interested in the photographs and their history. Lovely reproductions and a good intro to Atget's works.

[Courtland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oneiric and documenting photography, a blurred, by this profusion of realism and art. Liminality-torn between worlds- in these hauntological: doors, alleys, gardens, ruins, trees, architecture, et cetera. Look upon, behold the aspect and have the facts be forgotten as you remember.

[Carlos Filipe Bernardino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important to read and see the photos of Master Atget. His way to produce photos, help us to train our eye, and challenges us to improve our photography work.

[Rob GQ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.00

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Atget is an interesting historical figure and this book goes in-depth into many of his photos. In fact, every photo in the book is accompanied by an essay by Szarkowski. I read several of them but not all. I'll keep investigating Atget.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so in love with Atget. Although Mr. Szarkowski's tidbits were delightful to read, Atget's photographs truly need no words.