Iris: Sweet Message, from the series Floral Beauties and Language of Flowers (N75) for Duke brand cigarettes 1892

This is a chromolithograph trade card titled "Iris: Sweet Message," created by the American Tobacco Company. The composition presents a woman intertwined with irises, blending figuration with floral elements. The artist uses a subdued palette of pastel tones. The woman's features are softly rendered, framed by an elaborate headdress and necklace. The iris blooms, rendered in rich purples and blues, are juxtaposed against the woman, creating an interplay between nature and artifice. The flowers function as more than mere decoration; they are integral to the message, operating as a form of visual language. The card flattens depth, emphasizing surface design and the visual interplay between image and text. The card engages with the cultural codes of its time, where flowers served as symbolic communicators. The iris, signifying "sweet message," positions the image within a framework of coded communication, and the advertisement transcends its commercial function to engage in a broader discourse about representation, language, and social meaning.