Billot. Jean. 23 ans, né le 23/1/71 à Bourges (Cher). Tireur en barre. Anarchiste. 1/7/94. 1894

This is a mugshot photograph of Jean Billot, taken by Alphonse Bertillon in Paris in 1894. It attempts to objectively document the man, but inadvertently captures the spirit of a turbulent age. Billot’s very gaze carries echoes of defiance, reflecting the burgeoning anarchist movement of the time. His eyes, though stilled by the camera, hint at the passions simmering beneath the surface of 19th-century Europe. The anarchists' rejection of established order, visible in Billot’s disheveled appearance, mirrors similar rebellions throughout history. We see echoes of the radical iconoclasts who defaced religious images, driven by a desire to overturn existing power structures. Consider the emotional weight carried by this image. The photographic "portrait" as a tool of control and documentation contrasts with the subject’s inherent resistance. These opposing forces create a visual tension. The anarchists’ dream of societal upheaval would resurface in different forms throughout the 20th century, a reminder of humanity’s constant yearning for change, and of the cyclical nature of social unrest.