Eugène Atget (1857-1927) fue un excéntrico superviviente de oficios variados (camarero, actor, marinero...) que se dedicó como pasión privada a retratar las calles de París y alrededores vendiendo luego las fotografías en Montparnasse como 'documentos para artistas' (motivos para pintores) y que fue tomando conciencia del valor esencialmente documental de su trabajo (lo que lo convierte en un precursor lúcido y extraordinario). Aunque falleció en la miseria su legado fue reivindicado posteriormente por numerosos artistas (incluso por los surrealistas) y ahora su obra es uno de los bienes más preciados de la Biblioteca Nacional francesa y testimonio de una época y una ciudad. Hay que situar su trabajo en el tiempo en que está realizado (finales del siglo 19 y principios del 20) para entender la extraordinaria modernidad de unas imágenes urbanas que a ojos contemporáneos podrían pasar por obsoletas.
He was a rare eccentric (raised as an orphan by his uncle) and a man of many different jobs (waiter, actor, sailor...) that later devoted himself to portrait the streets of Paris and surroundings, selling the photographs at Montparnasse as 'documents for artists' (scenes for painters), gradually taking genious conscience of his work as a documentary labour. He died in misery but his archives stand now as one of the most valuable treasures of France National Library and has been a reference in the Art world through the years. In order to recognize the extreme modernity of these now old urban images you only have to place his work in the time it is done, the end of the 19th century and beggining of 20th.
Enlaces seleccionadosSelected links
Masters of photography
Photography Now
Atget Photography
George Eastman House
George Eastman House Flickr
El Ángel Caído
EscuchaListen
▶The Pleasure Seekers·'What a way to die'
"Una buena fotografía es como un perro de caza, mudo pero elocuente.", Eugene Atget. "A good photograph is like a hound dog, dumb but eloquent."
He was a rare eccentric (raised as an orphan by his uncle) and a man of many different jobs (waiter, actor, sailor...) that later devoted himself to portrait the streets of Paris and surroundings, selling the photographs at Montparnasse as 'documents for artists' (scenes for painters), gradually taking genious conscience of his work as a documentary labour. He died in misery but his archives stand now as one of the most valuable treasures of France National Library and has been a reference in the Art world through the years. In order to recognize the extreme modernity of these now old urban images you only have to place his work in the time it is done, the end of the 19th century and beggining of 20th.
Enlaces seleccionadosSelected links
Masters of photography
Photography Now
Atget Photography
George Eastman House
George Eastman House Flickr
El Ángel Caído
EscuchaListen
▶The Pleasure Seekers·'What a way to die'
"Una buena fotografía es como un perro de caza, mudo pero elocuente.", Eugene Atget. "A good photograph is like a hound dog, dumb but eloquent."
