Deliège. Nicolas, François. 19 ans, né à Ixelles (Belgique). Tailleur d'habits. Anarchiste. 9/3/94.

Art Historical Context

This poignant portrait, titled *Deliège. Nicolas,. 19 ans, né à Ixelles (Belique). Tailleur dhabits. Anarch. 9/3/94*, captures the stern gaze of a 19-year-old Belgian tailor labeled as an "anarchist." Created by Alphonse Bert in 1894, it exemplifies the French pioneer's revolutionary work in forensic photography. Bertillon chief of the Paris Prefecture of Police's Identification Service, developed the anthropometric system—known as "Bertillonage"—to catalog criminals through precise measurements and standardized mugshots, bridging science and art in the fight against crime. Taken as an albumen silver print from a glass negative, the small 10.5 x 7 cm image reveals meticulous detail, from the subject's furrowed brow to his simple attire, reflecting late 19th-century photographic precision. This medium, popular in the era, produced rich tones and sharp clarity ideal for identification cards, influencing modern policing and portraiture. Set against the backdrop of Europe's anarchist scares—marked by bombings and political unrest—this photograph humanizes a suspected radical, offering a window into the era's tensions between authority and dissent. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, it reminds us how photography once served justice, blending documentary rigor with unintended artistic intimacy.

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 ...