Although the moon is not visible in this photograph by Eugène Atget, its presence and appeal are implied. The crowd gathered in Paris’s Place de la Bastille on April 17, 1912, was observing a solar eclipse through viewing apparatuses. Atget, rather than recording the astronomical event itself, turned his attention to its spectators. Though Atget made more than 8,500 pictures of Paris and its environs in a career that spanned over thirty years—most documenting the built environment—this photograph is an unusual example that focuses on a crowd of people.
Eugène Atget Pendant l'éclipse 1912
- Eugène Atget has 2,913 works online.
- There are 28,794 photographs online.
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