Eugène Atget
Versailles Kybele. Allée de Trois Fontaines, 1923
© Public Domain / Courtesy Kicken Berlin
Biography
The travelling actor and painter Eugène Atget (French, 1857–1927) took up photography in 1888, specializing in reproductions and templates for artists and artisans. He began his systematic documentation Paris in 1897, going beyond the familiar monuments and landmarks and establishing an extensive photographic archive. His pictures caught the eye of Man Ray and the Surrealists who recognized in him a precursor of their artistic concepts. After 1927 Berenice Abbott brought his work to a wider audience through exhibitions and publications that garnered him international acclaim. To this day Atget is a role model for numerous photographers documenting the city and its architecture.
