Versailles, Bassin de Neptune 1902

Eugène Atget captured this photograph of the Bassin de Neptune at Versailles, employing the wet collodion process, a technique prevalent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Atget, working in a rapidly modernizing Paris, sought to document the city's architectural and cultural heritage. Versailles, once the epicenter of French royal power, embodies the complexities of class and privilege. The fountain, a symbol of opulence, reflects a bygone era of aristocratic excess and the socio-economic disparities of the time. Atget's choice to photograph Versailles resonates with the changing social landscape of France, capturing a sense of nostalgia. While Atget’s photographs appear neutral, they invite reflection on the cultural narratives embedded in these spaces. They encourage us to consider how places like Versailles function as stages for historical dramas of power, identity, and social change.