Pemjean. Lucien, Pierre. 32 ans, né à Lyon (Rhône). Publiciste. Anarchiste. 2/1/93. 1893

This is a photograph by Alphonse Bertillon, taken in 1893, of Lucien Pemjean, a 32-year-old anarchist from Lyon. While seemingly a simple portrait, it's charged with cultural and historical weight. Pemjean's face, framed by his mustache and direct gaze, becomes a symbol of defiance. His moustache is a statement of identity and belonging, recalling similar adornments in portraits of revolutionaries and intellectuals across Europe, from the philosophers of the Enlightenment to the rebellious figures of the Paris Commune. Think of the mustache as a visual echo that resonates through time, each iteration carrying the weight of past struggles. It is a mark of virility and social status, but also of intellectual identity. Pemjean's portrait captures a moment in the cyclical struggle between order and rebellion, a theme that resurfaces throughout history in endless variations. It represents a powerful emotional state and an enduring symbol of resistance that engages our subconscious on a very deep level.