Briet. Albert, Louis. 44 ans, né à Lyon (Rhône). Boulanger. Anarchiste. 4/3/94. 1894

Editor: Here we have Alphonse Bertillon's gelatin silver print, "Briet. Albert, Louis. 44 ans, né à Lyon (Rhône). Boulanger. Anarchiste. 4/3/94." It’s a portrait from 1894, and what immediately strikes me is the subject's gaze – direct, unwavering, despite the visible damage to one eye. The sepia tone lends it a sense of stark history. What do you make of it? Curator: The formal qualities are quite compelling. Note the strategic framing: the subject is centered, filling the picture plane, creating a sense of immediate confrontation. This is enhanced by the stark contrast between the dark suit and the lighter background. Also, observe the subject's attire juxtaposed with his defiant posture. Do you notice a tension created? Editor: Yes, the neat attire almost seems to clash with the man's rough features, like he’s trying to present respectability, but his missing eye hints at a more turbulent story. Is there any structural reason the picture plane is split so deliberately, bisecting at the neck? Curator: The division directs our attention. The upper half focuses intensely on the face – the lines, the symmetry disrupted by the damaged eye, the assertive moustache. The lower half anchors him, displaying him socially: jacket, shirt, and tie become elements of his social placement even though his ‘crime’ attempts to undermine the structure. Editor: It seems less like an attempt to represent him as an individual, and more about categorising him, a specimen almost. Curator: Indeed, his very presence becomes data; that it still retains compelling emotional presence perhaps underscores the portrait’s formal mastery. Editor: It really does reveal a lot when we slow down and analyse it formally. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure, every object yields new depths when viewed carefully.