Rue de la Grande Chaumière

attributed to Josef Breitenbach, 1939

Night-time only emerged as a theme in photography around 1900. Previously it had been virtually impossible to take photographs in low light. This nocturnal photograph of 1939 is printed on velvety paper, which lends the scene a serene and poetic character. Particularly noteworthy is how Breitenbach succeeded in making details visible in both the darkest and lightest areas.