Pierre Vésinier was a prominent figure in the Paris Commune, and this albumen carte-de-visite captures him in a commanding three-quarter pose that conveys the intensity for which he was known. The photograph was made by the Appert studio, a Parisian practice accredited to the Tribunal de la Seine and best known for its documentation of the Paris Commune of 1871. The mount's reverse bears the Ch. Reutlinger imprint as well, indicating the card was printed or distributed through that celebrated Paris atelier at 21, Boulevard Montmartre, dating the mount to the late 1860s or early 1870s based on the award medallions displayed.

Vésinier is shown seated with arms firmly crossed, dressed in a dark frock coat over a buttoned waistcoat with a narrow cravat at the collar, his expression direct and guarded. His hair is voluminous and loosely curled, and a full beard frames his face, giving him a distinctly combative presence consistent with his reputation as a radical journalist and agitator.

A journalist in Mâcon and later in Paris, Vésinier was exiled after Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte's coup d'état on December 2, 1851. In the supplementary elections of April 16, 1871, he was elected to the Commune Council by the 1st arrondissement, served on the Public Services commission, and became director of the Official Journal on May 12. After the Bloody Week, he sought refuge in London.

The reverse is inscribed in pencil: "Vésinier / King of Commune." The Reutlinger reverse bears four award medallions including "Paris 1867," "Berlin 1866," and "Hambourg 1868," with the notation "Premier Prix, Exposition Universelle 1867." The Appert recto imprint reads "E. Appert, Photo. Expert. / Déposé." and "Reproduction interdite" (reproduction forbidden).