Plate 18, from the Fans of the Period series (N7) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1889

This is Plate 18 from the "Fans of the Period" series, a promotional insert for Allen & Ginter cigarettes, its date is unknown. The card presents a woman in profile, meticulously designed using the printing techniques of the time. Her attire, defined by alternating red and white stripes, creates a visual rhythm that is both decorative and slightly disorienting. The fan she holds echoes this pattern in a softer, monochromatic key, creating a visual correspondence. The overall composition emphasizes a structured elegance. However, the texture introduces a destabilizing element. The frills of her hat, the feathered adornments, and the play of light across the fan’s surface disrupt any sense of rigid formality. This tension between order and chaos is characteristic of late 19th-century aesthetics. Consider how the interplay of line and color invites the viewer to question fixed notions of beauty and representation, challenging the viewer to find meaning in the structure itself.