Rue Asselin

1924–25

Not on view

In 1921, Atget was asked by the illustrator André Dignimont to photograph brothels for a book he planned to publish (but never did) called "La Femme criminelle." Initially, Atget photographed the facades of the houses with the prostitutes standing or seated before them. After additional prodding by Dignimont, he also made several pictures of the undressed women inside. It would be hard to imagine that the voluptuous forms in those images could be the women in the calico frocks shown here were it not for their attitude of frank, slightly bemused complicity. Atget enhanced the sense of companionable relationship between them by repeating the compressed triad of their stance in the compositional structure of his picture.

Artwork Details

Title: Rue Asselin
Artist: Eugène Atget (French, Libourne 1857–1927 Paris)
Date: 1924–25
Medium: Matte albumen silver print from glass negative
Dimensions: 22.9 x 17.6cm (9 x 6 15/16in.)
Sheet: 23.1 × 18 cm (9 1/8 × 7 1/16 in.)
Classification: Photographs
Credit Line: Gilman Collection, Purchase, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Gift, through Joyce and Robert Menschel, 2005
Object Number: 2005.100.134
Curatorial Department: Photographs

More Artwork

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St. Cloud near Paris, Eugène Atget French, Albumen silver print from glass negative — St. Cloud near Paris
Eugène Atget
1923

A la Biche, rue Geoffrey Hilaire, Eugène Atget French, Matte gelatin silver print from glass negative — A la Biche, rue Geoffrey Hilaire
Eugène Atget
1922

Eclipse, Eugène Atget French, Gelatin silver print from glass negative — Eclipse
Eugène Atget
1911, printed 1956

Boucherie, Rue Christine, Eugène Atget French, Gelatin silver print from glass negative — Boucherie, Rue Christine
Eugène Atget
1920s, printed 1956

Cour, rue de Valence, Eugène Atget French, Gelatin silver print from glass negative — Cour, rue de Valence
Eugène Atget
1922, printed 1956

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