Portrait of woman, from the Novelties series (N228, Type 2) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

Editor: This is a small print entitled *Portrait of woman, from the Novelties series,* created in 1889 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. There's something so charmingly vintage about this piece! The colours are delicate, the woman looks so calm... it makes me think of simpler times. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: It takes me back to a sepia-toned dream, almost! This piece, a tiny fugitive from a cigarette pack, has this undeniable allure. It whispers of a time when brands tried to entice smokers with beauty. The detail achieved on something so small, using what appears to be photo-engraving techniques is rather astonishing. I'm especially taken by the slight rosiness in her cheeks. It feels... cheeky, doesn't it? Given it’s essentially an advert. What does her expression evoke for you? Editor: You're right, it is cheeky! I find it hard to believe this portrait of a woman was printed to promote cigarettes, yet that makes me contemplate how different societal expectations have become. Her eyes are quite piercing. Curator: They certainly are. Almost modern in their directness, wouldn't you say? Perhaps that's why this little beauty still resonates, more than a century later. These portraits were popular precisely because of their direct, yet attainable representation of beauty. One could even argue these are the Victorian-era version of the celebrity pin-up, with a touch of realism that softens any hard edges, giving us instead, a dream in sepia tones. Editor: It's so fascinating to consider it in that light. Thanks, I hadn’t thought about the celebrity angle, which definitely adds a new layer for me. Curator: My pleasure! Art’s always talking to us – it just needs a little encouragement to spill its secrets!