Blowfish, from the Fish from American Waters series (N8) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1889

This color lithograph of a blowfish comes from the Fish from American Waters series made for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. What strikes me most is the creature’s distended form, a bulbous defense against threat. Across cultures, the fish appears as a symbol of fertility, abundance, and transformation—often tied to the depths of the unconscious. Its inflated form here reminds me of archaic fertility figures, swollen with life, promising continuation. Yet, there’s also something grotesque, a parody of plenty. Think of the Roman gorgoneion, a monstrous face meant to ward off evil, now rendered comical, almost endearing. The blowfish, in its vulnerability, puffed up to ward off danger, echoes our own psychological defenses. We, too, inflate ourselves, exaggerating qualities to appear larger than life. It’s a poignant reflection of our primal urges, a reminder that beneath the surface, fear and the will to survive drive us all. The symbol returns, inflated with anxieties.