Schulé. Armand. 21 ans, né le 28/2/73 à Choisy-le-Roi. Comptable. Anarchiste. 2/7/94. 1894

This mugshot was taken by Alphonse Bertillon in 1894, capturing Armand Schulé, an anarchist, using Bertillon’s anthropometric method. Schulé’s gaze is direct and unflinching, a visual symbol of defiance against the burgeoning systems of control. Consider the unflinching gaze that transcends this single image. The power in a direct stare is a motif echoed throughout history. Think of Caravaggio’s Medusa, her eyes frozen mid-scream, or the portraits of Roman emperors, each meant to convey power and command. The stare as a symbol of power is not linear; it mutates. In religious iconography, a saint's gaze can convey divine connection; but here in Schulé's mugshot, it signifies resistance and a refusal to be subdued. It's not just an arrest record; it's a record of the ever-shifting dance between authority and the individual, a dance that continues to engage viewers on a primal, subconscious level, provoking questions about power, identity, and rebellion.