The Palais Garnier, also known as the Opéra Garnier, is synonymous with grandeur, ornament and theatrical excess. Yet within this extraordinary building are quieter spaces that seem almost forgotten, their restraint offering a striking contrast to the opulence of the principal rooms.

This modest, somewhat unkempt interior sits adjacent to a far more elaborate reception room. Almost minimal by comparison, it possesses a quiet beauty of its own. The ageing surfaces, muted decoration and sense of neglect create an atmosphere that feels strangely intimate within such a monumental setting.

It was only later, when reflecting on why I had been drawn to make the photograph, that I realised the image had been quietly referencing something else in my visual memory: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, the extraordinary 1943 masterpiece by Dorothea Tanning. Its uncanny sense of scale, tension, domestic unease and mysterious stillness seemed to have found an echo here, quite unconsciously, in this overlooked corner of the Palais Garnier.

Limited Edition Archival Inkjet Print.

Available in four sizes;

• 21cm x 30cm - 8 1/4" x 11 3/4" (Includes border) Edition of 25.

• 48cm x 68cm - 19 3/4" x 27 1/2" (Includes border) Edition of 20.

• 70cm x 100cm - 27 1/2" x 39 1/2" (Includes border) Edition of 15.

• 90cm x 130cm - 35 1/2" x 51 1/4" (Includes border) Edition of 10.

Print only, no frame included.

*The total number of prints included in a Limited Edition includes all sizes listed as available. For example, there may be 25 in one size and 10 in another, this means there are 35 prints in the edition.