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Statue of Venus, Versailles, France

Jean-Eugène-Auguste Atget

1900

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Early Modern Mythology

Dominant colour

Statue of Venus, Versailles, France is a 1900 photographic by Jean-Eugène-Auguste Atget, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Jean-Eugène-Auguste Atget
When & what style?: 1900
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This is a photo taken around 1900 of a Venus statue in Versailles, France. The artist, Atget, made pictures of Old Paris to save its fading details. He sold many of these prints to museums and libraries. Atget started photography late in life. Before that, he worked as a sailor and an actor, which might explain why his pictures feel like quiet stage scenes. He lived alone in Paris, focusing on the city’s worn-out corners. Look up the artist Atget, Jean-Eugène-Auguste.

The story of this work

Overview

The photograph depicts a statue of Venus located in Versailles, France, captured by Jean-Eugène-Auguste Atget around 1900. Mounted on green card, the image is an albumen print from a series documenting 'Old Paris and its Environs.' Atget’s work, initially intended as a record of vanishing architecture, later gained recognition for its surreal and modern qualities. The photograph reflects his methodical approach to urban documentation during a period of rapid modernization.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Jean-Eugène-Auguste Atget

Jean-Eugène-Auguste Atget spent the early 1900s photographing Versailles when tourists were scarce, turning empty courtyards and statues into quiet studies of light and weather.

See the richer artist page