Uncertain Details

Although earlier I stated that little is known about his life, it is now clear that a lot can be found out about him - but what is really true?

There are a lot of contrasting declarations about his life, but I have tried to outline it to the best of my ability

Despite the fact that I mentioned him being raised by his grandparents and starting out as a sailor, a number of sources say differently

Here is one account of Atget's life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbUJER4s9Hc

Furthermore, Beaumont-Maillet states in Atget's Paris that Atget was also raised by his uncle and that he signed on to be a steward on a steamship in his early days. She also mentions that 'he would claim that he had been on several voyages, thus giving rise to the myth of an abortive career in the navy'

(1992, p. 9-10)

It seems Atget was not a very forthcoming individual about his own life and, therefore, details are a little muddled

References:

Beaumont-Maillet, L. (1992) Atget's Paris. Unknown edn. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.

Edward Weston

Another key figure his (later) work has been compared to is that of Edward Weston

(2001, p. 100)

(2001, p. 101)

However, Weston's views were mixed when presented with Atget's work. He admired this photo because it 'paralleled his own attempts to abstract nature', but he thought that his work was 'much less abstract and arty, much more down-to-earth and concerned with life rather than self-expression, defining the tree's place in nature rather than in art'

(2001, p. 100)

(The Studio 119 Degrees Blog, 2011)

References:

Badger, G. (2001) Eugene Atget 55. Unknown edn. London: Phaidon Press Limited.

The Studio 119 Degrees Blog (2011) Artistic Black and White Photography by Edward Weston. Available at: http://www.studio119.com/wordpress/index.php/2010/12/artistic-black-and-white-photography-by-edward-weston/ (Accessed: 15 February 2014).

'Father of Modern Photography'

He has been described as the 'Father of Modern Photography'  because he photographed the French culture changing with the Industrial Revolution

He is one of a number of traditional French architectural photographers. Some of these other photographers include the likes of Henri Le Secq, Gustave le Gray and Edouard Baldus

(2001, p. 3-7)

Henri Le Secq 'was a learned and cultivated man, a collector of old master prints and medieval ironwork'. His 'personal passion for architecture, quiet landscapes, and humble still lifes was served by a more intimate, private, and expressive vision'

(The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History) 

(Wikimedia Commons, 2011)

However, Gustave le Gray was also one of the most important photographers in French culture in the 1850s. He first experimented with paper photography in 1848 and became well-known for his Paris scenes and architectural photos of chateau's and churches

(The Metropolitan Museum, 2013, Gustave Le Gray (1820 - 1884))

And finally, Edouard Baldus 'was recognised as one of the few photographers to combine aesthetic sensitivity with an astonishing technical prowess in the still experimented and handcrafted medium.' He was one of five selected to photograph the 'nation's architectural patrimony, focusing particularly on those monuments in need restoration'

(The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013, Edouard Baldus (1813 - 1889))

'Atget's technique belonged to the nineteenth century, yet his vision belongs firmly to the twentieth. His gaze was direct and frank, but he, more than any of his contemporaries, was able to make the imaginary co-exist with the real. And thus he invented modern photography'

(1992, p. 25)

References:

Badger, G. (2001) Eugene Atget 55. Unknown edn. London: Phaidon Press Limited.

Beaumont-Maillet, L. (1992) Atget's Paris. Unknown edn. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2013) Edouard Baldus (1813 - 1889). Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bald/hd_bald.htm (Accessed: 15 February 2014).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2013) Gustave Le Gray (1820 - 1884). Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/gray/hd_gray.htm (Accessed: 15 February 2014).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2013) Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1990.1130 (Accessed: 15 February 2014).

Wikimedia Commons (2011) Cathedrale Strasbourg - facade Sud partie centrale - Le Secq 1851. Available at: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cathédrale_Strasbourg_-_façade_Sud_partie_centrale_-_Le_Secq_1851.jpg (Accessed: 15 February 2014).

Personal Life: Personality

There are only a few accounts on what Atget was like as a person. It was said that he was extremely strong-willed and consumed with his work

He wasn’t concerned with fame or material objects

He was opinionated and sceptical of anything new (which is why he rejected Man Ray’s modern camera)

He was very independent and generally avoided working for someone

(National Gallery of Art, 2014)

He has been described as an angry, serious, sober photographer that can sometimes be humorous and joyful with his work being described as bitter-sweet

(2001, p. 102)

It seemed his work was often a projection of his personality; he was showing us how he viewed Paris

(2001, p. 12-13)

References:

Badger, G. (2001) Eugene Atget 55. Unknown edn. London: Phaidon Press Limited.

National Gallery of Art (2014) The Art of Documentary Photography. Available at: http://www.nga.gov/feature/atget/bio.shtm (Accessed: 11 February 2014).

Man Ray

Man Ray was a photographer of the Dadaism and Surrealism movements

'His experiments with photography included rediscovering how to make "camera-less" pictures, which he called rayographs'

He became famous for his portraits and fashion photography, as well as experimenting with the possibilities of film, the solarization technique and, later, the featuring of Lee Miller in his work

In his later life he explored painting and scultpure

(A+E Television Networks, LLC, 2013)

(Alafoto Gallery, 2013)

References:

A+E Television Networks, LLC (2013) Bio. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/man-ray-9452778?page=1 (Accessed: 11 February 2014).

Alafoto Gallery (2013) Man Ray. Available at: http://alafoto.com/listing/thumbnails.php?album=51&page=1 (Accessed: 11 February 2014).

Berenice Abbott

Berenice Abbott was a portrait, documentary and science photographer throughout her life

She worked with Man Ray, Jacques Cocteau, James Joyce, Max Ernst and Edna St. Vincent Millay - whether she photographed them or aided their careers

Her interest in Eugene Atget's work led her to a project where  she captured New York being modernised

'Abbott favoured a straightforward, yet dynamic, style that featured strong contrasts and dramatic angles.'

(The Phillips Collection, 2005)

(Lumiere Gallery, 2013)

References:

Lumiere Gallery (2013) Berenice Abbott. Available at: http://lumieregallery.net/wp/167/berenice-abbott/ (Accessed: 11 February 2014).

The Phillips Collection (2005) Berenice Abbott - Bio. Available at: http://www.phillipscollection.org/research/american_art/bios/abbott-bio.htm (Accessed: 11 February 2014).

Personal Life: Noted Friends

The actress Valentine Delafosse Compagnon became his companion in his early acting days up until her death in 1926

(1992, p. 10)

Berenice Abbott was also an important figure in Atget's later life as she bought some of his photos in 1925 - trying to get others interested - and took his portrait in 1927

Man Ray became interested as well and published some of his photos in 1926

After Atget's death in 1927, Abbott published the majority of his work

(1992, p. 13-15)

(2003, p. ii)

References:

Beaumont-Maillet, L. (1992) Atget's Paris. Unknown edn. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.

Harris, D. (2003) Eugene Atget Unknown Paris. Unknown edn. New York: The New Press.

Technique

Characteristics of his photos include the use of long exposures, a wide view enhancing space, and a limited range of scenes which avoided the bustling modern Paris

His antiqued technique and blurred use or lack of people suggested that his photos were taken early in the morning

He often used a wide-angle lens, did not care about faults in the photos, and preferred the older techniques

Vignetting (reduction of brightness or saturation at the corners) and ‘burning’ of his images was a common feature and he preferred to take photos from one point of view - only things on his eye level

(1992, p. 21-22)

(1983, p. 119)                         (1983, p. 93)

His photos are 'seductively and deceptively simple, wholly poised, reticent, dense with experience, mysterious, and true.'

(Atget Photography, no date)

Some can 'seem more picturesque, imaginative or formally inventive than others.'

(The Museum of Modern Art, 2014)

John Szarkowski talks about his technique on a more personal level in the short video below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOIBSIbHYc4

References:

Atget Photography (no date) Biography & Images. Available at: http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Eugene-Atget.html (Accessed: 10 February 2014).
Beaumont-Maillet, L. (1992) Atget's Paris. Unknown edn. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.

The Museum of Modern Art (2014) Eugene Atget. Available at: http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=229 (Accessed: 10 February 2014).
Szarkowski, J. and Morris Hamburg, M. (1983) The Work of Atget The Ancien Regime. Unknown edn. New York: The Museum of Modern Art.

Further Subjects

Additionally, he photographed small tradesmen, the poor, the homeless, rag collectors and prostitutes, as well as fairs and popular amusements

(1992, p. 22-23)

(Atget Photography, no date)

He almost gave up photography during World War One, but after he became financially independent and took to photographing the parks of Versailles, Saint-Cloud and Sceaux

(The Museum of Modern Art, 2014)

(Atget Photography, no date)

He began to photograph more for himself than for others

References:

Atget Photography (no date) Biography & Images. Available at: http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Eugene-Atget.html (Accessed: 09 February 2014).
Beaumont-Maillet, L. (1992) Atget's Paris. Unknown edn. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.
The Museum of Modern Art (2014) Eugene Atget. Available at: http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=229 (Accessed: 11 February 2014).

Old Paris

This lead him to start his Old Paris collection which he would continue for the rest of his life

His Old Paris collection includes photos of narrow lanes and courtyards in the city centre, with its historic old buildings - which some were soon to be demolished. They included palaces from the French Revolution period, bridges and quays on the banks of the Seine, shops with their window displays, stairwells and architectural details

 

 

(Atget Photography, no date)

A modern take on Atget's photographs can be seen in the video below. Ed Alcock discusses Atget's subjects and the main point in which his photographs were trying to get across

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0c5WCYtmFo

References:

Atget Photography (no date) Biography & Images. Available at: http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Eugene-Atget.html (Accessed: 09 February 2014).

Subjects

(Atget Photography, no date)

His subjects included art, architecture and cityscapes of Paris and it's environs. This prompted institutions such as the Bibliotheque Historique de la Ville de Paris to start buying his photos

(Atget Photography, no date)

Further subjects were documentary records of old buildings in Paris and the French culture

References:
Atget Photography (no date) Biography & Images. Available at: http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Eugene-Atget.html (Accessed: 09 February 2014).