A photographer as well as a respected critic, Emmanuel Sougez straddled the worlds of commercial photography and fine art. From 1926 through the Second World War, he led the photography section of the Paris magazineL’illustration and became known for studio still–life compositions. During this time, he was also interested in photography movements that emphasized a rigorously straightforward approach, such as the New Objectivity in Germany and Group f/64 in the United States. The New York gallerist Julien Levy— from whose collection this photograph of paper lanterns and their overlapping shadows was acquired—included Sougez’s work in the group exhibition Modern European Photography in February 1932.