Sicard. André. 32 ans, né à Nîmes le 25/10/62. Bijoutier. Anarchiste. 2/7/94. 1894

This mugshot photograph, made by Alphonse Bertillon, captures André Sicard, a jeweler and anarchist, on July 2, 1894. The gaze, directed slightly off-center, speaks volumes. We find this averted gaze mirrored throughout history, from Roman portraiture to Renaissance depictions of penitent saints. Originally, direct eye contact signified courage and authority. However, here, Sicard's gaze shifts; rather than defiance, it conveys introspection, or perhaps a profound sense of resignation. The mugshot, as a cultural artifact, echoes the medieval "danse macabre"—a visual reminder of mortality and societal control. This image is not just a record of identity, but a symbol of transgression, a visual encoding of social anxieties. The photograph’s starkness serves to engage viewers on a deep, subconscious level with a non-linear, cyclical progression of this symbol, and how it has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.