Ravachol. François Claudius Kœnigstein. 33 ans, né à St-Chamond (Loire). Condamné le 27/4/92. 1892

This photograph of François Claudius Kœnigstein, better known as Ravachol, was made by Alphonse Bertillon in France. It’s a simple object: a photographic print mounted on card, a cheap and efficient means of fixing an image. Bertillon was a pioneer of forensic photography, which used the reproducible medium of photography to standardize the identification of criminals. His mugshots are haunting, made all the more so by their matter-of-factness. The way this print was made is crucial to its social meaning. Photography, in its essence, democratizes image-making. However, in this context, it becomes a tool of the state, fixing Ravachol, an anarchist convicted of bombings, within the crosshairs of institutional power. Though modest in scale, this photograph embodies the clash between individual agency and state control at the turn of the century, tensions that continue to this day. It challenges traditional distinctions between art and documentation, inviting us to consider the broader implications of materials and making in shaping our perceptions.