Eli Lotar worked in Paris between the two world wars and is best known for his experimental films and uncanny photographic contributions to the Surrealist publication “Documents.” In this image, however, Lotar delivered a gentle abstraction: perhaps shot during a pause in a circus routine, the image freezes a swinging rope ladder, creating a geometric contrast with the tent’s luminous canvas panels. In February 1932, New York collector and gallery owner Julien Levy, who is commonly credited with introducing Surrealism to an American audience, included Lotar’s work in an influential exhibition titled “Modern European Photography.”