Versailles, Vase par Ballin 1905

This is Eugène Atget’s photograph of a vase by Ballin, taken at Versailles, using what looks like a simple camera and natural light. It’s like he's saying: "Hey, look at this thing!" The vase has this swirly, almost liquid quality to it, like it's been poured rather than sculpted. And the stone looks strangely soft, like clay. I love how Atget captures all the textures: the rough stone, the delicate carvings, the way the light hits the surface. It's like he's feeling the vase as much as seeing it. I’m drawn to the head on the side of the vase. The way it juts out, the little curls in its hair. It’s almost playful, which is weird because Versailles is supposed to be so serious. Atget’s other pictures share this interest in old things, but it’s the way he looked, straight on, no frills, that reminds me of someone like Bernd and Hilla Becher, just collecting images and letting us see what's there. It's a real lesson in seeing.