Villa. Jean. 29 ans, né à Farini d'Olma (Italie). Manoeuvre. Anarchiste. 2/3/94.

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, criminologist Alphonse Bert revolutionized police identification with his "anthropometric system," combining precise measurements, detailed descriptions, and standardized photographs known as *portraits parlés* (speaking portraits). This 4 albumen silver print a glass negative captures Jean Villa, a 29-year-old Italian-born laborer from Farini d'Olma, labeled an "anarchiste" (anarchist) and arrested on March 2. At just 10.5 x 7 cm, the small format belies its monumental role in forensic history, part of Bertillon's vast archive at the Paris Prefecture of Police. Bertillon's technique—full-face and profile views against a scaled background—ensured scientific accuracy, transforming subjective eyewitness accounts into objective visual records. Printed on albumen paper, prized for its rich tonal range and fine detail, these images reflect the era's cutting-edge photography while serving a darker purpose: cataloging suspected radicals amid France's turbulent *Années folles* anarchiste scares, marked by bombings and political unrest. Today, this poignant portrait from the Met's Gilman Collection humanizes a marginalized figure, bridging art, science, and social history. It reminds us how photography shifted from portraiture to policing, influencing modern mugshots and criminal databases. A stark window into an age of fear and innovation.

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 ...