Moma eugene atget biography

A photograph shows the inside of the display of a clothing store like a parody of a theatrical space, where the photographer plays with ambiguity: while the vitrine triggers desire, the glass physically isolates the consumer who contemplates his own reflection mingled with the spectacle of the commodity. Above and beyond their subjects, his photographs are regarded as the bridge between 19 th century topographic photography and the so-called art documentary of the 20 th century.

His work expresses an uncompromising vision that took less account of technical precision, but rather focused on creating a record of pictorial space. This image, depicted in an agrarian region in northern France, characterizes Atget's early style. The photographer identified himself with the French tradition of historicizing landscapes, with a total lack of reference to the classic conventions of framing and composition.

This particular photo appears to have been influenced by Impressionist painter, Claude Monet, whose series of Haystacks was completed in The sleepy scene captures the quiet countryside and the timeless character of the French farmhouse lifestyle.

When did eugene atget die

The repetitive nature of the haystacks and the diagonal of the road push our view into the far-off distance. The scene is missing the presence of a farmer and livestock making it more of a meditation on the environment itself as the title suggests. As a documentary photographer, Atget described himself as a keeper of records.

Occupying a unique position at the crossroads between the classical and modern era, he shied away from modernity in order to better prepare for its arrival.