Archery, from the Games and Sports series (N165) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

Goodwin & Company created this chromolithograph, "Archery" as part of the Games and Sports series for Old Judge Cigarettes. Notice how the composition is divided, with the archery scene on the left and an oval portrait on the right. The texture of the scene evokes a sense of a carefully staged tableau. The interplay between action and stasis is notable here; we have figures in motion contrasted with the static portrait. The archery scene presents a kind of active, pastoral elegance, while the portrait encapsulates a removed, idealized beauty. This contrast can be interpreted through the lens of semiotics, where the archery scene functions as a signifier of leisure and skill, and the portrait symbolizes an idealized image of femininity. Ultimately, the juxtaposition of these elements encourages us to question the constructed nature of images and their role in shaping cultural values.