Poodle, from the Dogs of the World series for Old Judge Cigarettes 1890

Editor: This is a print from 1890 by Goodwin & Company, titled "Poodle, from the Dogs of the World series for Old Judge Cigarettes". It's done with colored pencils and shows a pretty straightforward depiction of a poodle in profile. I find its simplicity quite charming. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, this little guy! For me, it's all about stepping back in time. Imagine this: Cigarette cards were wildly popular, little slices of pop culture tucked into packs. This wasn't high art, of course, but functional art--ephemeral images designed to catch your eye while also being sturdy enough to withstand some handling. And think about why *this* dog, specifically. Why a Poodle? Why at that exact moment in history? What sort of longings in the viewing audience did it satisfy? And this technique! Colored pencils; it wasn’t trying to fool anyone, was it? Editor: That's a great point about cigarette cards being a form of pop culture. How did this influence what kind of images were made? Curator: Precisely! Its aim was to delight, I imagine. It was art in your pocket. Editor: I’d never thought about art’s capacity for 'functional delight'. Curator: Ha! Right. So, who knew so much thinking could be inspired by a drawing of a fluffy dog? Editor: Indeed! Thanks for sharing this wonderful insight.