Ancien Amphitheatre Saint-Côme rue de l'Ecole de Médecine
Eugène Atget
French, 1857–1927
1899-1900
A late‑19th‑century albumen silver print by Eugène Atget that quietly records the classical entrance of the former Saint‑Côme amphitheatre on Rue de l’École de Médecine as part of his project to document Paris’s vanishing streets and buildings.
Its measured composition and soft sepia tonality draw you to the dignified central doorway — framed by sculpted reliefs, potted evergreens, cobbled pavement, and a small childlike sculpture — creating a still, everyday intimacy.
As one of Atget’s methodical studies of urban fabric, the image helped establish documentary photography as a form of historical preservation and an artistic practice that influenced modernists and surrealists.
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
Approx. 8 11/16 × 6 9/16" (22 × 16.7 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Abbott-Levy Collection. Acquired through the generosity of Shirley C. Burden, and Family of Man Fund
Accession
1.1969.4423
Palette
Exhibitions
