Roses

Eugène Atget, 1922–1923

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Artist: Eugène Atget (French, 1857–1927)
Medium: Albumen silver print
Size: Image: 18.2 × 22.1 cm (7 1/8 × 8 11/16 in.)
Culture: French
Museum: J. Paul Getty Museum
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

In this study of three roses, Eugène Atget captured the flowers at the peak of bloom, just as their petals were beginning to curl under. Although the photograph is symmetrical, with two tall stems flanking a shorter one, each of the three full roses faces a different direction. Fresh buds are visible on the tall stems, as if to remind the viewer that new blooms will soon replace the current blossoms.

In order to make the "documents for artists" that the sign outside his door advertised, Atget had to consider what types of photographs would be useful to artists as source material. His clientele included textile designers, wallpaper designers, and painters, all of whom could have found this image of roses in bloom quite valuable.

Text: J. Paul Getty Trust, CC BY 4.0.