Tardieu. Marius (ou Maurice). 26 ans, né le 15/7/68 à Piolène (Vaucluse). Ébéniste. 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
2005.100.375.402
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1894, French forensic pioneer Alphonse Bertillon this intimate portrait of Marius (or Maurice) Tardieu, 26-year-old cabinet from Piolène in Vaucluse, labeled simply as an "anarchiste." Arrested on July 2 France's turbulent fin-de-siècle anarchist wave—sparked by bombings and the infamous "Trial of the ThirtyTardieu's mugshot exemplifies Bertillon's revolutionary bertillonage system. This anthropometric method combined precise measurements, standardized poses (frontal and profile views), and meticulous photography to identify criminals, transforming policing into a scientific endeavor. Prin...
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 ...