Highland Fling, from National Dances (N225, Type 1) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

Curator: Here we have "Highland Fling, from National Dances," a print issued by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company in 1889, now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It seems like a delicate watercolor illustration on paper. Editor: Oh, she's pure joy, isn't she? All bright tartan and energetic pose! I get a feeling of exuberance, almost like she could just leap right off the… cigarette card? That’s what this feels like. Curator: Precisely! These were trade cards included in cigarette packs. It is intriguing how themes of nationhood and cultural identity were used to market a global commodity. In this case, the "Highland Fling" becomes a symbol, likely disconnected from any real understanding of Scottish culture but readily consumable nonetheless. Editor: So it’s about flattening the world into little bite-sized stereotypes for commerce, packaged with something that will give you cancer...nice! But I also find it aesthetically quite charming, there’s a vibrant life to the movement captured in the dance, which overrides some of the problematic layers. I see echoes of Japonisme in the flat background and graphic lines, wouldn't you agree? Curator: Indeed. The influence of Japonisme is certainly evident in the flattened perspective and bold graphic style. It is worth exploring how the appropriation of artistic styles coincided with imperial expansion and the objectification of cultures. This commercial image participated in circulating ideas about nation, gender, and performance—solidifying cultural expectations even across socioeconomic divides. Editor: That's fascinating—a little card carrying a whole history. Makes you wonder what future historians will say about our advertising, what kind of messages our everyday junk is communicating. The artist's touch is light and energetic in capturing a sense of ephemeral beauty, which gives an unusual tenderness to the otherwise commercial image. But yes, maybe someday someone will diagnose us based on the targeted ads that chased us on the internet! Curator: Thinking about that interplay between intent and reception gives this little card renewed resonance. Editor: Right, so much hidden in the packaging! It's really more of a layered poem of historical commentary when you put it that way, makes me want to go kick up my heels in tribute.