Currently not on view
Vénus par Legros, Versailles,
1923–24
Eugène Atget, French, 1857–1927
2004-289
Atget recorded Paris and its surroundings at a time when the old was being rapidly replaced by the new. When he photographed this copy of the ancient Medici Venus (Florence, Uffizi)—sculpted for Louis XIV by Nicolas Frémery and placed with other marble sculptures and vases along the Allée Royale of Versailles—the deserted palace was endangered but soon to be restored through the philanthropic support of John D. Rockefeller. Nostalgic romantics, however (such as the poets Robert de Montesquiou and Henri de Régnier or the Russian set designer Alexandre Benois), loved the overgrown trees, lichen-covered marble, and discolored sculptures from another age.
More Context
In just over three decades, the French photographer Eugène Atget made ten thousand photographic negatives that documented the cultural legacy of France and its rapidly changing capital, Paris. Atget considered himself a documentary photographer and marketed his services to artists, architects, libraries, and museums. His diverse portfolio included images of parks, such as this view of the gardens at Versailles. He did not receive widespread recognition until the 1920s, when the American photographer Berenice Abbott published many of his images and championed his work.
Information
Title
Vénus par Legros, Versailles
Dates
1923–24
Maker
Medium
Gelatin silver chloride print
Dimensions
22.8 × 17.8 cm (9 × 7 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, gift of the Friends of the Princeton University Art Museum in honor of Peter C. Bunnell
Object Number
2004-289
Place Depicted
Europe, France, Versailles, Château de Versailles
Inscription
Titled and numbered in graphite, verso top: Versailles 1245
Marks/Labels/Seals
Stamped in ink, verso bottom center: E. ATGET / Rue Campagne-Première [in graphite] 17 bis / 15 Neg. #1245
Reference Numbers
Szarkowski/Hambourg 21
Culture
Techniques
Subject
