Seated woman (on blue silk), from the Girl Art Subjects series (N193) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1887 - 1894

Editor: So, this is "Seated woman (on blue silk)," a print from the Girl Art Subjects series by William S. Kimball & Company, probably made between 1887 and 1894. It's at the Met. It gives me this interesting feeling, almost dreamlike with the woman seemingly in ancient Greek garb juxtaposed on what appears to be cigarette packaging. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: Dreamlike is a lovely way to put it. It feels like stepping into a half-remembered play. You've got this theatricality, a sort of romantic fantasy – but yes, grounded in the very tangible reality of advertising. Kimball used "art" to sell his cigarettes. Notice the delicate silk, that Tiffany blue almost, framing the figure… Do you think it elevates or cheapens the portrait? Editor: I think it does both simultaneously, highlighting a tension between high art and commercial appeal. It is a strange hybrid. Is that the intent? Curator: Perhaps. Or perhaps it’s a reflection of the era itself: the Gilded Age, with its conspicuous consumption and yearning for European refinement. The woman herself, posed like a Grecian goddess… she's selling a fantasy of sophistication and beauty that, in this case, is directly linked to a cigarette. How subversive, really. Editor: It's fascinating how different layers create so much nuance. I had not considered this social angle. Curator: It's like history distilled into a tiny silken square. Who knew smoking could be so thought-provoking? I've thoroughly enjoyed this, it has expanded my perspective as well.