This photograph of two arches that were part of an arcade running along one side of the garden of the Palais Royal in Paris is unusual in Eugène Atget's work because of the symmetry and straightforward angle used to define the composition. An illustration of elegant yet colossal design, this image recalls architectural renderings more than photographs. It is one of many Atget made in his "documents for artists" collection, which were meant to be used as preliminary sketches. Architects would have purchased this photograph for the information it conveyed about the proportions and details of this building from the 1700s.