📸✨AI Reimagines the Masters✨ Eugene Atget|310/1000
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Introduce briefly
Eugène Atget (1857-1927) was a French photographer known for his pioneering work in documentary photography, particularly his extensive documentation of the architecture and street scenes of Paris. He played a significant role in capturing the city's essence before it underwent modernization and rapid changes. Atget's photographs are characterized by their diffuse light, wide views, and attention to detail.
Biography:
- Atget was born on February 12, 1857, in Libourne, France [1].
- After the death of his parents, he was raised by his maternal grandparents in Bordeaux and later joined the merchant navy [1].
- Atget moved to Paris in 1878 and initially pursued a career in acting, but eventually turned to photography [1].
- He became a professional photographer in 1890, supplying documents for artists such as painters, architects, and stage designers [1].
- Institutions like the Musée Carnavalet and the Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris started buying his photographs in 1898 [1].
- During World War I, Atget temporarily stopped photography and stored his archives in his basement for safekeeping [1].
- In 1920-21, he sold thousands of his negatives to various institutions, becoming financially independent [1].
- Atget's partner, Valentine, passed away in 1926, and Atget himself died on August 4, 1927, in Paris [1].
Photographic Practice:
- Atget used a large-format wooden bellows camera with a rapid rectilinear lens to capture his photographs [1].
- He often repositioned the lens relative to the plate on the camera to correct perspective and control vertical forms [1].
- Atget's photographs were taken on glass plates with a general purpose gelatin-silver emulsion, resulting in longer exposures and occasional blurring of moving subjects [1].
- He developed, washed, and fixed his negatives, assigning them to specific filing categories and numbering them consecutively [1].
- Atget contact-printed his negatives onto pre-sensitized printing-out papers, such as albumen paper or gelatin-silver printing-out paper [1].
- He did not use an enlarger, and all his prints were the same size as their negatives [1].
Legacy and Influence:
- Berenice Abbott, a photographer who worked with Man Ray, played a crucial role in promoting Atget's work after his death [1].
- Atget's photographs gained recognition and admiration from artists like Man Ray, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso [2].
- Abbott preserved Atget's prints and negatives and was the first to exhibit his work outside of France [2].
- Atget's photographs continue to be celebrated for their historical and artistic value, capturing the essence of Paris before its transformation [2].
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