Dammarie-les-Lys, ruines 1910

Eugène Atget made this photograph, Dammarie-les-Lys, ruines, using a camera and photographic paper, creating a world of subtle tones and textures. Look at the way the light catches the edges of the crumbling stone. It's like Atget is inviting us to consider the slow, inevitable process of decay. I love how the image is soft, almost dreamy; the arches and columns of the ruin feel both solid and ephemeral. The sepia tones give the scene a timeless quality, as if we’re peering into a memory. Notice the contrast between the man-made structure and the encroaching foliage – nature reclaiming what was once built. Atget's methodical approach reminds me a little bit of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who photographed industrial structures with such dedication. But Atget has this extra layer of romance, a quiet fascination with the passage of time. It's a reminder that everything changes, and there’s a certain beauty in that.