The photograph titled “Fontaine du passage” was captured by the artist Eugene Atget. It was taken at the address 6 rue des Guillemites. The image depicts a quaint scene from what appears to be a narrow alley or a courtyard. In the focus of the image, you can see an old ornamental water pump affixed to a stone wall. A pair of woven baskets snuggly hang from the curved metal bracket of the water pump, seemingly awaiting their turn to be filled. The textures of the stone wall, the woven material of the baskets, and the rusted metal pump are sharply defined, casting a vignette of daily life from a bygone era.
The photograph emanates a sense of stillness and bygone daily routine, suggesting a historical moment frozen in time. The soft lighting and sepia tones enhance the photograph’s historic aura, providing a glimpse into the character of the Parisian street scene at the time Atget took the photograph. The composition of the photograph, combining utility and mundane everyday objects, highlights Atget’s talent for documenting the urban landscape and the particulars of Parisian life in the early 20th century.
