Hebe, Goddess of Youth, from the Goddesses of the Greeks and Romans series (N188) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Curator: Here we have "Hebe, Goddess of Youth," a chromolithograph from 1889 issued by William S. Kimball & Company as part of the "Goddesses of the Greeks and Romans" series. Editor: She seems to emerge out of a fever dream. I mean that as a compliment. Something about the colors—pink and gold and that ethereal blue—feels hazy, like a half-remembered myth. Curator: Hazy is a great word. As the goddess of youth, and cupbearer to the gods, Hebe represented eternal freshness. The artist is capturing that ephemeral quality. Editor: Water too! The cascade of water. It’s like a visual metaphor for time, pouring endlessly from one vessel to another. I find it interesting the use of containers, suggesting both preservation and the inevitable passing of time, like sand through an hourglass. Curator: Precisely! There's something inherently poignant about this. We see symbols of immortality combined with this rather commercial context. Kimball Tobacco inserting themselves into the domain of goddesses… Editor: A very human, and cheeky, attempt to connect with something eternal, hoping perhaps some of the youthful vigor of the goddess rubs off on their brand. It almost reminds me of those little religious icons people carry, you know, a tangible piece of faith in your pocket. This tobacco card becomes a secular relic, imbued with its own promise of, perhaps not eternal life, but at least a hint of glamour. Curator: Yes, the glamour and appeal is beautifully captured by the technique. While the printing makes it seem mass produced, I think there’s skill to those dreamy, airbrushed colours—soft and romantic! I see this as academic art, using history and allegory for the contemporary appeal and enjoyment of beauty, that works for all times. Editor: And just like that, we find ourselves grappling with that age-old tension, still relevant now, of consumer culture versus artistic expression and their symbiosis in defining what we desire or how we imagine beauty. I like that our encounter with this image shows how that push and pull creates meaning that outlasts the advertisement. Curator: Indeed. In just a glance at Hebe, we catch sight of mortality, aspiration, branding and even faith… all in one beautifully crafted piece.