Bissonier. Sébastien. 19 ans, né à St Bonnet (Allier). Journalier. Outrage à la Gendarmerie. 5/3/94. 1894

Editor: We’re looking at a portrait photograph from 1894 by Alphonse Bertillon, titled "Bissonier. Sébastien. 19 ans, né à St Bonnet (Allier). Journalier. Outrage à la Gendarmerie. 5/3/94." It feels strikingly direct, almost confrontational, and yet, it’s presented in this very formal photographic style. What do you make of its visual structure? Curator: Observe how the photographer’s use of centered composition flattens the depth, almost as though attempting to remove emotional layering. The tonal range, largely monochrome with some warmth, emphasizes texture: the roughness of the subject’s hair and coat contrast with the soft focus across his face. Notice too, how the handwritten number on the mount suggests classification and seriality. Editor: So the format is part of the message, even the mount itself? Curator: Precisely. The frame becomes a part of the piece; its geometry constrains our perception of the individual within. Semiotically, the muted colour palette seems to serve as signifier to an antiquated or historical event or situation. What do the subject's clothes suggest about his environment or life stage? Editor: He's wearing fairly rough working clothes, which gives some context for why he's been brought in to be photographed, which itself looks clinical. He’s deliberately positioned. There’s a strong sense of system at play. Curator: Indeed, this portrait performs a very particular kind of looking; consider the tension between the personal details within the title and the emotionless execution. Would you say these visual qualities humanise the sitter, or depersonalise? Editor: Depersonalise, certainly. But I now appreciate that even a supposedly objective record can be so thoroughly shaped through visual choices. Curator: Indeed, analyzing the form reveals much about how we are intended to perceive the subject, wouldn't you agree?