Loth. Clotilde, Caroline (femme Bossant). 43 ans, née à Valenciennes. Sans profession. Anarchiste. 27/4/94. 1894

This albumen silver print of Madame Loth by Alphonse Bertillon, created around 1894, captures more than just a face; it captures an era's anxieties about identity and social order. Note the gaze: direct, unflinching, challenging the viewer. This piercing look echoes in countless portraits throughout history, from Roman busts to Renaissance Madonnas. The intent is to fix the subject's essence. Here, it's complicated. The meticulously documented physical characteristics contrast with the label "anarchiste," imbuing her image with a subversive energy. The anarchists' symbol of resistance, a circle 'A', is reminiscent of ancient religious halos, yet here it suggests rebellion against established norms. This fusion of the sacred and the subversive underscores the cyclical nature of human ideals, constantly resurfacing in different forms. Bertillon’s photograph is not just a record; it’s a charged field where collective fears and desires intersect, revealing the enduring power of the human image to provoke and question.