Admiral Dupeare, French Navy, from the Naval Vessels of the World series (N226) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

This is a chromolithograph, part of the “Naval Vessels of the World” series, printed by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. The image presents a warship, rendered with remarkable attention to its structure. The masts, rigging, and hull are meticulously detailed, showcasing the vessel's complex architecture. The chromatic scale is restrained, with the ship's gray and white tones set against a soft sky and water. The composition is divided into distinct zones, from the detailed ship in the foreground, to the distant shoreline. The linear precision and the ordered arrangement of elements invite a structuralist reading. The image is less about the romanticism of naval power, and more a study of the vessel as a complex system. The cut-away title banner and cigarette branding on the right add another semiotic layer to the print, highlighting a meeting point between maritime engineering, national identity and commercial culture. It serves as a historical artifact, revealing how industrial printmaking, and advertisement, shaped the perception of technology and national pride.