Australia, from the Types of All Nations series (N24) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1889

This small chromolithograph, "Australia, from the Types of All Nations series (N24) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes," presents a portrait dominated by a profile view. The subject's features are rendered in a style that emphasizes texture and depth, with dark, curly hair and a full beard contrasting against lighter skin tones. The chromatic scale of the work is muted yet complex. Brown, beige, and gold create a backdrop that allows the subject to emerge with prominence. The background’s application is uneven, creating an ethereal sky effect. The figure is draped in white cloth. The careful modulation of light and shadow gives the figure form. The choice of this particular composition and chromatic scale, combined with the cigarette card format, invites consideration of the late 19th-century’s cultural and commercial interests. The card reduces complex identities to types, reflecting contemporary attitudes toward race and culture. The layering of textures and the interplay of light and shadow do not just serve aesthetic purposes; they engage with broader themes of representation, inviting us to decode the cultural values embedded in this visual artifact.