Mlle. Renand, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

Editor: This is Mlle. Renand from the Actresses series, published around 1890 by Kinney Brothers to advertise Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It looks like a print based on a photograph. What immediately strikes me is its sepia tone and the delicate, almost melancholic air. What do you see in this portrait? Curator: Oh, yes, it's like peering into a bygone era, isn’t it? I find myself captivated by the influence of Japonisme, a real craze back then, wouldn't you agree? You see it in the cropped composition, that deliberate asymmetry... It's a world away from stuffy, formal portraiture. Did you notice the way her gaze avoids ours, drawing us into her private world? There's an undeniable intimacy there. Tell me, does this portrait feel like advertising to you? Editor: That’s fascinating! It doesn't scream advertising. More like a little gem, but if I really squint and try hard I think the Japonisme is apparent. Curator: Exactly! And that's the genius, isn't it? Subtlety. Think about it: fleeting beauty linked to a fleeting pleasure – a cigarette. It's marketing as art, almost subversive in a way, capturing a moment, and selling a dream. And for just a moment, holding that cigarette case is holding that feeling of fleeting beauty and wonder. Pretty smart! Editor: It’s amazing to consider how much cultural context can be packed into something as seemingly simple as a cigarette card. Curator: Absolutely, it's more than just an image. It’s a time capsule and a tiny glimpse of another place and another era of advertising that is really quite stunning! Editor: Definitely, I will never see advertisement the same way again!