Clidière. François. 39 ans, né le 3/2/55 à Miales (Dordogne). Tailleur d'habits. Anarchiste. 9/3/94.
Medium
Albumen silver print from glass negative
Dimensions
10.5 x 7 x 0.5 cm (4 1/8 x 2 3/4 x 3/16 in.) each
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gilman Collection, Museum Purchase, 2005
Accession Number
2005.100.375.113
Tags
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 document...
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 ...