Fox, from Quadrupeds series (N41) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

Curator: Ah, look at this cheeky fellow! It’s a lithograph print titled "Fox, from the Quadrupeds series" crafted around 1890 by Allen & Ginter. Editor: Well, if cheeky could be captured in a rectangle, this would be it. There's a playful mischief radiating from those beady eyes, and I love the soft watercolor illustration vibe. It looks like something plucked from the pages of a child’s book. Curator: Allen & Ginter, known for their collectible cards inserted in cigarette packs, sought to educate as much as to entice. These "Quadrupeds" cards brought natural history into everyday life. The fox, in particular, holds a layered symbolism. Editor: Absolutely. Foxes often represent cunning, cleverness, even trickery in folklore. But there's also a powerful connection to nature, instinct, survival. I'm drawn to how they positioned it with a view that has hens just below... quite deliberate. It makes one wonder whether it's planning its next meal, adding to the charm of it all. Curator: The style also borrows elements from Ukiyo-e prints with flat planes, impressionist landscapes, and carefully balanced asymmetry – and is interesting from the point of view of its historical development as a kind of genre painting. This kind of print had the power to fix and transmit potent cultural images, a cultural mirror we keep returning to for visual clues about ourselves. Editor: I also admire how they integrated the cigarette ad without overwhelming the art. The entire composition feels so… contained. There is a lot happening, from landscape and horizon to this furry animal and poultry at the bottom. It's a tiny universe humming with stories. It's like peeking into another world for just a moment. Curator: Indeed! A compact window into a world teeming with both commercial aspirations and an undeniable artistic impulse. Editor: Exactly! Art for the masses and foxes for the curious.