Forti. Ernesta. 45 (ou 46) ans, née à Lodi (Italie). Laitière. Anarchiste. 27/2/94.

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, French criminologist Alphonse Bert revolutionized police work with his anthropometric system, known as *bertillonage*. This poignant 1894 albumen silver print from a glass negative captures Ernesta Forti, 45- or 46-year-oldmaid born in Lodi, Italy, simply as an "anarchiste" (anarchist). Taken on February 27, 4, the small portrait (10.5 x 7 cm) is part of Bertillon's mugshot series, designed for precise criminal identification through measurements, profiles, and full-face views. Bertillon's work emerged amid France's *Belle Époque*, a period of social upheaval marked by anarchist bombings and strikes, including the 1893 unrest that heightened fears of radicalism. Ernesta's image reflects the era's scrutiny of working-class immigrants and women in subversive politics, transforming functional police documentation into haunting human portraits that reveal vulnerability beneath the clinical gaze. As an early masterpiece of forensic photography, this print from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection showcases albumen silver's rich detail and tonal depth, bridging science and art. It invites us to ponder the humanity behind the label, influencing modern portraiture and criminal justice photography.

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 ...