Reina Regenta, Spain, from the Famous Ships series (N50) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1895

Allen & Ginter created this small lithograph card, Reina Regenta, Spain, from the Famous Ships series for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. Notice how the sepia tones flatten the image, presenting the subject almost as a diagram. The ship's detailed structure, rendered in miniature, appears in stark contrast to the muted sky and water, creating a unique tension between depth and surface. This tension is heightened by the print's original function as a collectible card. The structural clarity could be seen as a nod to semiotics. The ship, meticulously illustrated, becomes a signifier, representing not just a vessel but also Spain’s naval power and colonial ambitions at the time. Ultimately, the formal constraints – the size, the muted palette, and the focus on structural detail – invite us to consider the complex interplay between representation, ideology, and the aesthetic possibilities inherent in even the most functional of art forms.