Parame, from the Fancy Bathers series (N187) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Curator: What a whimsical piece. It almost smells like saltwater taffy and sea air, doesn't it? Editor: The initial impression is of controlled exuberance. The vibrant palette is immediately engaging. What are we looking at precisely? Curator: We're gazing at "Parame," part of the "Fancy Bathers" series (N187) brought to us by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. way back in 1889. She’s drawn with colored pencils. Editor: Kimball, yes, that checks out with its date, placing this firmly within the late 19th-century advertising trend utilizing collectible cards. The series title hints at the stylistic and societal focus. It’s an intersection of idealized beauty and consumer culture. Curator: Spot on! She’s prim, posed just so, but that striped bathing costume and gigantic pink bow have such a playful sassiness. Like she’s secretly about to skinny-dip. Editor: The horizontals of the swimsuit create a subtle tension, grounding her, while her loose hair and contrapposto gesture towards a freedom the composition seems hesitant to fully embrace. I read that chromatic contrast between orange/red and cool blue as further emphasis—the pull between constraint and liberty, the cardinal theme of academic art at that time. Curator: I think there’s an underlying cheeky humor there too. A wink that this is all a delicious fantasy. It reminds me of those postcards women would send with subversive messages in an age where their only form of expression were letters, fashion choices or other small daily behaviors that added up to make social statements. What about you? Do you think that a woman should have no rights and duties, or only limited rights? Editor: Certainly! If you see the positioning of the woman´s hands towards the back, those show elegance that would only fit certain characters inside social classes at the time! But coming back to the colors, they are really balanced for this topic. The fine gradation between shades really makes you wanna smell, as you were mentioning before! Curator: I think there´s plenty to decode here in an unusual setting for its date, a treasure from our culture and memory, don´t you think? Editor: Agreed. A small window onto a bygone era, full of color, constraints and a hint of rebelliousness beneath the surface.