Pernin. François. 34 ans, né le 11/1/60 au Creuzot (Saône-et-Loire). Forgeron. Anarchiste. 2/7/94.
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
2005.100.375.326
Tags
Art Historical Context
This poignant portrait, titled *Pernin. François. ans, né le 11/1/60 au Creuzot (Saône-et-Loire). Forger. Anarchiste. 2/7/94*, captures François Pernin, 34-year-old blacksmith self-identified anarchist from eastern France. Created by Alphonse Bertillon in 189, it exemplifies the pioneering work of the French forensic photographer who developed the Bertillon system—an early method of criminal identification using precise measurements and standardized mugshots. The image, part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, offers a stark glimpse into Pernin's life amid France's turbulen...
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 ...