Landschoot. Edouard. 27 ans, né le 6/8/67 à Paris. Bijoutier. Anarchiste. 2/7/94.

Art Historical Context

This poignant photograph, titled *Landschoot. Edouard. 27 ans, né le 6/867 à Paris. Bijoutier. Anarch. 2/7/94*, captures a 27-year-old Parisian jeweler and self-identified anarchist named Edouardchoot. Created by Alphonse Bert in 1894, it exemplifies the French pioneer's revolutionary bertillonnage system—a forensic photography technique that standardized criminal portraits with precise measurements, full-face, and profile views to aid identification. At just 10.5 x 7 cm, this albumen silver print from a glass negative reveals Bertillon's meticulous approach, blending science and artistry in an era when photography was revolutionizing policing. Taken amid France's "Year of the Bomb" anarchist unrest, including high-profile attacks in 1893–94, the image reflects the era's political tensions and government crackdowns. Landschoot's label as an "anarchiste" underscores how such portraits documented not just physical traits but ideological threats, humanizing individuals amid widespread fear. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, Bertillon's work transcends criminology, offering a window into 19th-century portraiture's evolution. The albumen process yields crisp, tonal richness, turning forensic tools into enduring cultural artifacts that invite reflection on justice, identity, and the gaze of authority.

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 ...