Calliope, Muse of the Heroic Song, from the Goddesses of the Greeks and Romans series (N188) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Curator: Isn't she lovely? We're looking at "Calliope, Muse of the Heroic Song," one of a series of cigarette cards issued around 1889 by William S. Kimball & Company. Editor: My first impression? Utterly charming! There's a sweetness to her expression, a softness in the rendering… but also, it feels a tad… theatrical, doesn’t it? Like a well-rehearsed tableau. Curator: Exactly! These cards were designed to be collected, traded, and consumed like little bites of culture. Each one offered a glimpse into idealized beauty, knowledge, and myth, neatly packaged for a mass audience. Notice how Calliope holds her lyre, almost shyly. Editor: It’s a delicate hold. And the olive wreath… a touch stereotypical, perhaps? I’m curious about this idealized beauty though. Was it aspirational? A distraction? Both? Curator: Absolutely. Cigarette cards served as tools of cultural pedagogy and social engineering. The "Goddesses of the Greeks and Romans" series was trying to teach folks about classical myths in a visually pleasing, palatable way. Also, it presented acceptable archetypes of femininity, contained within this small rectangle. Editor: So, Calliope here becomes more than just a muse; she embodies a set of societal values, beautifully framed in watercolour and coloured pencil on paper. It's like a miniature stage. Curator: Right. Consider also the materials used: a humble cigarette card, now housed in the Met. Think about the journey that image takes from factory floor to pocket to museum display case, acquiring new meanings each step. Editor: That transformation…it's like the myth itself evolving with each retelling. And seeing it now, divorced from its original commercial purpose, allows us to unpack its layers with a more critical eye. Thank you, Calliope, for inspiring today’s own heroic song. Curator: Indeed! It reveals the fascinating way art reflects, refracts, and shapes our collective story across time and even space. Each glimpse brings new appreciation.