Emmanuel Arago, son of the astronomer and statesman François Arago, was a lifelong republican who served as deputy, minister of justice and interior, and later as senator and ambassador to Switzerland across four decades of French political life. This carte de visite was produced by Eugène Thiébault’s Paris studio at 31 Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle, the reverse carrying the printed succession notice of Bacard Fils, Gendre et Successeur.

He is shown in half length, seated with one hand resting at his lap, dressed in a dark double-breasted coat over a waistcoat buttoned high, a wing collar and bow tie at his throat. His full head of white hair is combed back from a broad forehead, and his gaze is turned directly toward the camera with a composed, settled expression suited to his standing as an elder statesman.

Arago entered government as commissioner of the Rhône in 1848, later serving as minister of justice and then interior during the Government of National Defense in 1870 and 1871. He went on to represent Pyrénées-Orientales in the National Assembly and Senate for two decades and served as French ambassador to Switzerland from 1880 to 1894, remaining in office until his death in 1896.

The reverse is inscribed in pencil, “Emmanuel Arago (1812-1896) / French Politician / Passionate Republican,” over the printed studio imprint of Photographie Thiébault, 31 Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle, 31, en face le théâtre du Gymnase, Bacard Fils, Gendre & Successeur, with the archival notations “3/13/07,” “CDLDX2,” and “Eb.”