Card 20, Pyrameis Cardui, from the Butterflies series (N183) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1888

Editor: Here we have *Card 20, Pyrameis Cardui*, from the Butterflies series by William S. Kimball & Co., dating to 1888. It's delicate and fanciful; a woman with butterfly wings. What are your thoughts on this curious portrait? Curator: This image offers a fascinating lens through which to examine late 19th-century cultural ideals and anxieties. Consider the context: these cards were distributed with tobacco products. What does it mean to associate idealized femininity with consumerism and perhaps, male desire? How does the visual language of Art Nouveau, with its emphasis on the natural world, contribute to this construction? Editor: So you're suggesting there's a deeper commentary here on the objectification of women? Curator: Absolutely. The figure is passive, ornamental even, like a pinned butterfly in a collection. It is also relevant to discuss how entomology and the collection of butterflies was seen as an upper-class pursuit. We need to consider this within broader historical narratives of gender, class, and scientific discourse. It raises questions about the power dynamics inherent in representation itself, doesn't it? Editor: It does. I was initially drawn to the pretty colours and graceful lines, but now I see a more complex picture. Thank you. Curator: And thank you for opening your eyes, this shows us how a seemingly innocent image can reveal uncomfortable truths about our past and its influence on the present.