Marie. Léon, Louis. 23 ans, né le 19/8/70 à Adouzeval (Calvados). Couvreur. Anarchiste. 16/3/94. 1894

Alphonse Bertillon created this photographic print around 1894, using albumen silver to capture a man named Marie Léon Louis. The composition is striking in its stark simplicity. A frontal mugshot, cropped tightly, leaves little room for anything beyond the subject's immediate presence. The frame is structured around the sitter's face, drawing us to his gaze. The sepia tones and the slightly blurred details soften the image, creating an unsettling aesthetic quality. Bertillon's work sits at the crossroads of art, science, and social control. The formal qualities of the photograph—the precise framing, the neutral background, the subdued palette—are all tools to classify and control. Yet, the softness of the print and the man’s piercing gaze also introduce a sense of vulnerability. What are the cultural codes at play here? Is it a challenge to the idea of fixed identity or a commentary on power? As you contemplate it, consider how this photograph destabilizes established notions of representation and identity, engaging us with a more profound sense of the human subject.