Lutringer. Pierre, Léopold. 43 ans, né le 25/11/50 à Stenay (Meuse). Cordonnier. Anarchiste. 3/7/94. 1894

This photograph, taken by Alphonse Bertillon in France in 1894, captures Pierre Léopold Lutringer, a 43-year-old anarchist and shoemaker. It is a mugshot, part of Bertillon’s system of criminal identification, or “Bertillonage,” which used precise body measurements to classify and track individuals. This image speaks to the anxieties of the French Third Republic, a time marked by social unrest and the rise of anarchist movements. Lutringer’s profession and political affiliation are noted, casting him as a threat to the established order. Bertillon’s system, adopted by police forces worldwide, reflects the growing power of the state to monitor and control its citizens. Understanding this photograph requires looking at the history of criminology, the development of photography as a tool of surveillance, and the social context of late 19th-century France. By delving into these resources, we can see how art is always contingent on the society that makes it.