Clidière. François. 39 ans, né le 3/2/55 à Miales (Dordogne). Tailleur d'habits. Anarchiste. 9/3/94.

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, forensic pioneer Alphonse Bertillon criminal identification with his "anthropometric system," known as bertillonage. This poignant 1894 albumen silver print François Clidière, a 39-year-old tailor from M in Dordogne, labeled as an "anarchiste." Arrested on March 9, 1894, amid France's turbulent wave of anarchist violence—including bombings that shook Paris—Clidière's mugshot exemplifies Bertillon's methodical approach: a stark frontal portrait paired with precise measurements and personal details inscribed on the image. Bertillon's photographs transcend mere documentation, blending science and artistry in their clinical precision. Printed from a glass negative onto albumen paper, these tiny 10.5 x 7 cm images offer remarkable clarity and detail, capturing the subject's weary gaze and weathered features against a neutral backdrop. As head of the Paris Prefecture's Identification Service, Bertillon standardized poses to aid police work, influencing global forensics until fingerprints superseded his system. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, this work highlights the intersection of photography, criminology, and social history. It invites reflection on the era's political unrest and the humanity behind the criminal label, reminding us how images once used for control now serve as cultural artifacts.

About the Artist

Alphonse Bertillon · 1853–1914

Alphonse Bertillon (1853–1914) was a pioneering French photographer whose work revolutionized forensic documentation, transforming police identification into a precise visual science. Born in Paris on April 22, 1853, he was the son of medical professor and statistician Louis-Adolphe Bertillon and the younger brother of demographer Jacques Bertillon. Lacking formal higher education after expulsion ...