Solar Eclipse, April 1912, 1912

Darstellung: 18.1 x 22.6 cm

Physical Description: Albumen print mounted on cardboard

Acquisition: Acquired in 2011 with support from the Kulturstiftung der Länder and the Hessischer Kulturstiftung, property of the Städelscher Museums-Verein e.V.

Status: Not on display

Texts

About the Work

In 1926 this photo by Eugène Atget decorated the cover of issue no. 7 of the periodical ‘La Révolution surréaliste’, the chief publication of the Surrealist movement in Paris. Obscuring brightness, as happens during a solar eclipse, was contrary to the Surrealist’s concern, namely enlightening the human psyche. Atget was considered a key figure of documentary photography. A year before his death, the Surrealists adopted the photo as their magazine’s trademark, thus making the photographer a prophet of their movement.

Audio & Video

Basic information

01:07
Focus on art history

01:51

KunstIStück – Eugène Atget: Sonnenfinsternis, Paris 1912

Sammlungshighlights des Städel Museums in unterhaltsamen und informativen Filmen – das sind die Kunst|Stücke. Entdecken Sie spannende Details zu Kunstwerken aus ungewöhnlichen Blickwinkeln in unter zwei Minuten. Eugène Atget: Sonnenfinsternis, Paris 1912 (1912), Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main. https://sammlung.staedelmuseum.de/de/werk/sonnenfinsternis-april-1912#yt

Work Data

Basic Information

Title: Solar Eclipse, April 1912

Photographer

Eugène Atget

Period Produced

20th century

School

surrealism

Object Type

photograph

Physical Description: Albumen print mounted on cardboard

Material

Technique

albumen print

Captions Added Later: Bezeichnet verso oben rechts auf dem Trägerkarton: Handschriftlich: 17 avril 1912

Property and Acquisition

Institution

Städel Museum

Administration

Photographic Collection

Collection

Städelsches Kunstinstitut

Creditline: Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Eigentum des Städelschen Museums-Vereins e.V.

Picture Copyright: Public Domain

Acquisition: Acquired in 2011 with support from the Kulturstiftung der Länder and the Hessischer Kulturstiftung, property of the Städelscher Museums-Verein e.V.

Work Content

Motifs and References

Genre

Main Motif

Associated Medium

La Révolution surréaliste, 1924-1929

Iconclass

Primary

24A3 solar eclipse
61A(1912) historical events and situations (1912)
61F(PLACE DE LA BASTILLE) names of historical buildings, sites, streets, etc. (PLACE DE LA BASTILLE)
25I144 square, place, circus, etc.
61E(PARIS) names of cities and villages (PARIS)
31D14 adult man
31D15 adult woman
31B6211 looking upwards