4005 - Atget, Eugène

Atget, Eugène Rue de la Parcheminerie. 1899. Albumen print. 21,8 x 17,8 cm. Titled "R. de la Parcheminerie" and numbered "3675" in pencil on the verso. Eugène Atget’s photographs of Paris at the turn of the 20th century form a remarkable visual archive of the city’s streets, courtyards and fading pre-modern architecture. Often devoid of people, his images convey the traces of daily life through storefronts, signage and worn cobblestones. These understated urban views, rich in detail and atmosphere, reflect Atget’s quiet yet profound sensitivity to time, place and memory, and laid the groundwork for modern photographic approaches to the city. This early view of the commercial frontage and Louis XV façade at 29 rue de la Parcheminerie is characteristic of his attention to the overlooked textures of old Paris. Prints of this image are held by the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, and the Musée Carnavalet, Paris. – A long horizontal handling crease across the lower section, further light handling creases and somewhat irregular sheet edges; verso lightly soiled and time-stained, otherwise in good condition with rich, warm tones.