Ancien Amphitheatre Saint-Côme rue de l'Ecole de Médecine

Eugène Atget

1899-1900

An albumen silver–print photograph by Eugène Atget that records the entrance of the old Saint‑Côme amphitheater, made to document Paris’s built details and everyday façades before they vanished.

You'd first notice the quiet, slightly theatrical composition—the arched doorway framed by columns and a wrought‑iron balcony, potted plants and a lone baby carriage on cobbled pavement bathed in soft, sepia‑toned light.

Part of Atget’s systematic inventory of turn‑of‑the‑century Paris, this image helped establish documentary photography as both an artistic and historical practice and later inspired avant‑garde artists to see the ordinary as worth preserving.

Palette

Art Terms

Albumen silver print Documentary photography Photography Architecture Built environment Cityscape

Exhibitions

French Photographs: Daguerre to Atget

1945

The Work of Atget: The Art of Old Paris

1982

The Work of Atget: Old France

1981

The Work of Atget: The Ancien Régime

1985