Paul Bert, one of the most consequential figures of the French Third Republic, is depicted in this albumen-print CDV, the format captured at the height of its popularity in the early 1880s. The image carries a printed identification on the front mount reading "Paul Bert" and "Ministe. d'Education," placing the portrait firmly within his brief but influential tenure as Minister of Public Instruction in Gambetta's cabinet from November 1881 to January 1882. No photographer's imprint is visible on the reverse.

Bert is shown in three-quarter bust, turned slightly toward the camera with a composed and direct expression. He wears a dark wool coat with a wide lapel and a white shirt collar at the throat, and holds a bound book pressed against his chest, a detail that speaks directly to his parallel careers as scientist and statesman. His dark hair is swept back and he carries a full beard with a lighter, somewhat silvered texture at the chin.

Bert was a French physiologist, politician, and diplomat of remarkable range. He represented the Yonne in the Chamber of Deputies from 1872 to 1886 and served as Minister of Education in Léon Gambetta's cabinet. As minister, he initiated the fight for social equality and secular education, becoming one of the most prestigious figures of the developing republican left.

The reverse bears pencil inscriptions reading "Adolphe Thiers / 1797–1877 / Fr. Statesman & Historian / Suppressed the Paris Commune (1871)" and "7/18/06 COLAAZ Eb," the latter appearing to be a collector or cataloging notation. These reverse inscriptions misidentify the subject; the front mount inscription "Paul Bert / Ministe. d'Education" correctly identifies the sitter.