Eugène Atget

albumen print, numbered '4367' in the negative, partially titled and numbered in pencil on the reverse, framed, circa 1901 (Atget Paris, p. 207)

Collection of Berenice Abbott / Julien Levy, 1968

The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2002

Grading this albumen or arrowroot print on a scale of 1 to 10--a 10 being an albumen print with deep brown dark tones and highlights that retain all of their original detail--this print rates a 9 or 10. Overall it has a rich tonal range and the staircase exhibits a high level of detail in the stonework. This photograph is in generally excellent condition. There is a 1/4-inch red-colored stain of indeterminate nature at the upper left corner. Upon close examination, slight abrasion of the emulsion is visible in the lower left quadrant. These minor issues do not detract from the overall fine appearance of this print. On the reverse, there are two glue remnants from a previous mount. 'de Lagrange 4 rue de Brague' and '4367' are written by the photographer in pencil. 'Hotel le Lievre dit de Brague', '4367' and 'MOMA DUPE [illegible] 2002' are written in an unidentified hand in pencil. In 'The Work of Atget. Volume III: The Ancien Regime,' Maria Morris Hambourg has chronologically dated, in the form of an extensive chart, Atget's photographs by their series and negative numbers. The chart is the most comprehensive to date, and our dating of this print is based upon the author's assessment of the photographer's series and negative numbers. The negative number on this print '4367' indicates that this image was taken circa 1901 (cf. 'The Work of Atget. Volume III: The Ancien Regime,' pp. 181-85).
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