Whistling Thrush, from the Song Birds of the World series (N42) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the somewhat melancholic beauty. A lone bird, rendered with such tender detail, almost like a memory trying to take flight. Editor: Indeed. We are looking at "Whistling Thrush", from the Song Birds of the World series, created around 1890 for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. It’s a print, employing drawing and watercolor. These were trading cards inserted into cigarette packs. Curator: Cigarette packs! So this delicate watercolour had the rough and tumble life inside someone's pocket, waiting to be discovered. Isn't that wonderful? Editor: It highlights the fascinating role of art in commerce and popular culture during the late 19th century. Tobacco companies using artistic imagery to enhance their brand. What appears aesthetic, here, intertwines deeply with the culture of consumption and marketing. Curator: And there is something else; a very modern tension between interior and exterior spaces. A tension further heightened by what seems like a lonely domestic tableau reflected in the window behind the bird. Are those Easter eggs in a basket? It is both beautiful, yes, but ever so slightly tragic. Editor: Interesting observation. The artist employs what seems like impressionistic techniques to highlight a sense of fleeting moments. Note the Japonisme-like composition of space—very much of its time. These bird cards, quite collectible now, reflect a wider enthusiasm with ornithology. Curator: Maybe we all long to fly, metaphorically if not literally! Especially a tiny creature with vibrant life stuck in the space between a cage and domesticity. Editor: Right, this print tells many stories about the intersections of commercialism, art history and the delicate beauty found in the ordinary. Curator: Almost makes me want to start whistling, or perhaps take a walk outside. I wonder if I'll see a whistling thrush today.