The Fountain of the Médicis, Luxembourg Gardens
Artist
Eugène Atget
(French, 1857-1927)
CultureFrench
Date1923-1925
MediumAlbumen print
DimensionsOverall, Image: 6 7/8 × 9 in. (17.5 × 22.9 cm)
Overall, Mat: 20 × 16 1/16 in. (50.8 × 40.8 cm)
Overall, Mat: 20 × 16 1/16 in. (50.8 × 40.8 cm)
InscribedVerso, written in Atget's hand in pencil: Luxembourg-Fontaine;
Médicis 50;
Ink Stamp: E. ATGET;
Rue Campagne-Pemiere 17;
Lower right in pencil: MOMA DUPE;
2002 SMM
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. by Exchange
Object number2002.5.3
Not on view
DescriptionThis is a vintage albumen print of a park in Paris, France. There is a fountain in the center with a pool of water in front and a treed landscape around it.Label TextEugène Atget French (1857-1927) The Fountain of the Médicis, Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, 1923-25 Albumen print Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. by Exchange 2002.5.3 ~ Eugène Atget is considered one of the finest photographers in history. Indeed, the body of work that Atget created is so vast and significant that it is possible to say that he has influenced virtually every photographer since the early 20th century. His reputation relies on the remarkable photographic record he created of Paris at the turn of the century. Atget began to photograph at the age of 40, and became rapidly absorbed in a documentary project which, over the last 30 years of his life, resulted in more than 10,000 glass-plate negatives of turn-of-the-century Paris and its rural environs. His fame as a photographic artist has accrued entirely in retrospect; during his life he sold his photographs as reference works for artists in other media. Due to the efforts of Berenice Abbott and, more recently, the Museum of Modern Art, Atget's images are now considered early masterpieces of photographic realism. The Chrysler collection includes five vintage Atget photographs printed by Atget and nine printed by Berenice Abbott from the original negatives. All 14 were shown in a one-gallery exhibition in 2002. Edited By: GLY Edited Date: 11/07/2003ProvenanceEugene Atget; Berenice Abbott and Julian Levy, 1927-1968; sold to Museum of Modern Art, 1968-2002; Chrysler Museum of Art purchase, Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. by Exchange, 2002. Exhibition History"Silver Images: The Photography Collection at 25," Alice R. and Sol B. Frank Photo Galleries, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., November 5, 2003 - August 2004. Published ReferencesChrysler Museum, "Chrysler Museum of Art Acquires Rare Atget Photographs," http://news.amn.org/amn_home.jsp, Art Museum Network News, October 18, 2002: http://news.amn.org/press.jsp?id=1105.
