Twee gerechtelijke portretten van een onbekende man before 1890

These portraits of an unknown man were produced by the Service d'identification de la préfecture de Police de Paris. Here, we see a figure presented in two distinct profiles, each a study in the vulnerability of the exposed human form. The format itself echoes earlier traditions of portraiture, yet it is devoid of any individualized or ennobling attributes. Instead, these images serve a utilitarian purpose, aligning with the positivist spirit of the late 19th century, an attempt to categorize and understand human nature through observation and documentation. Consider how the averted gaze, a symbol often associated with piety or introspection in religious art, here takes on a different meaning, indicating perhaps compliance or defeat. The starkness of the images evokes a raw, almost confrontational psychological space. This echoes a similar starkness and emotional rawness found in the work of artists from different eras, where the human figure is presented with unvarnished honesty. The image reminds us of how symbols persist and transform, constantly renegotiated in the crucible of human experience.