Enseigne d'un Marchand de Chevaux Possibly 1842 - 1965

Hippolyte Bayard made this paper photograph, Enseigne d'un Marchand de Chevaux, sometime in the mid-19th century. I can only imagine Bayard setting up his camera, figuring out the light, composing the shot, and the whole thing just coming into being through trial, error, and, I suspect, a good dose of intuition. What was it like for him, I wonder, to capture this street scene, this fragment of life? It is a photograph, of course, but the details give it the air of painting. The surface of the paper is almost like a canvas, and the tones and textures feel so carefully considered. There's this incredible depth and range in the gray tones. The way the light falls through the archway, drawing you into the space beyond, reminds me of those old masters playing with perspective. I think of other artists, too – Atget maybe, or even some of the New Topographics photographers of the ‘70s – all trying to capture something essential about the built environment. We are all in conversation, echoing each other across time.