Jourdan. Numa. 30 ans, né le 27/8/61 à Courbevoie (Seine). Teinturier. Anarchiste. 23/4/92. 1892

Alphonse Bertillon created this gelatin silver print of Jourdan, an anarchist and dye worker, in 1892. The photograph is dominated by a man's formal pose, rendered in sepia tones that flatten the image and lend it a documentary feel. The subject is centered, and his face—framed by precise handwriting—becomes a site of typological and social inquiry. Bertillon's use of photography was a pivotal moment in the history of surveillance. Through this medium, the individual is reduced to a set of measurable attributes, aligning with Michel Foucault’s theories of power and the panoptic gaze, which suggests individuals modify their behavior under the perception of being watched. The formal constraint of the mugshot is subverted by the man’s self-presentation; the formal attire hints at defiance against the dehumanizing process. The work is not just a record but an implicit commentary on systems designed to categorize and control, revealing the tensions between identity, representation, and authority.