Card 685, Fanny Rice, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a portrait of Fanny Rice, made for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. The sepia tone lends a sense of nostalgia, highlighting the sitter’s features through a soft, diffused light that gracefully models her face and hair. The composition is dominated by her profile, which is meticulously framed by the dark mass of flowers and foliage at her chest. The photograph’s structure is striking. It presents a dichotomy between the individual and the commodity, where Fanny Rice's likeness is both a portrait and a promotional tool. Her representation intersects with broader discourses of celebrity culture, commercialism and the semiotics of desire. It suggests that images can function simultaneously as art and advertisement. Consider how the interplay of light and shadow defines not just her features but also her cultural value. The portrait is a complex layering of meanings that invites continuous re-evaluation.