Sweet William (Dianthus barbutas), from the Flowers series for Old Judge Cigarettes 1890

This is a chromolithograph of Sweet William from the Flowers series for Old Judge Cigarettes, created by Goodwin & Company. The card presents a cluster of red flowers and leaves against a gold background. The blooms are densely packed, their vibrant colour and jagged edges contrasting with the broad, muted leaves. The composition emphasizes a tension between the organic forms and the geometric regularity of the card's border. Note how the artist uses color to create a visual hierarchy, drawing the eye first to the flowers, then down the stem, and finally to the leaves. This careful arrangement, within the confines of the small rectangle, mirrors the structure inherent in nature itself, yet contained and presented for mass consumption. The use of the floral motif destabilizes established meanings to engage with new ways of thinking about value.