Advertisement for Cashmere Bouquet Soap 

Haddon Hubbard Sundblom created this advertisement for Cashmere Bouquet Soap using oil paint. The composition centers on a seated woman in a green dress, her form softened by a surrounding profusion of pink and peach flowers. Her posture and the adjacent man's proximity evoke intimacy. Sundblom masterfully employs color and form to construct meaning. The pastel hues and curvilinear shapes suggest softness, aligning with the soap's advertised attributes. The woman's placement, nestled within the flowers, symbolizes a natural, almost Edenic purity, reinforced by her smooth skin and delicate features. However, the image's structural elements reveal a deeper engagement with cultural codes. The contrast between the woman's gentle curves and the man's sharper lines reinforces traditional gender roles. The calculated arrangement of elements suggests a constructed, rather than natural, scene. This calculated composition highlights how the artwork functions as a signifier, conveying messages about beauty, desire, and the commodification of intimacy within a consumerist society.