Deer, from the Quadrupeds series (N21) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

This lithograph of a deer comes to us from Allen & Ginter's "Quadrupeds" series of cigarette cards. The deer, a symbol of grace and virility, has long held a place in our collective consciousness. Consider the Stag God, Cernunnos, of Celtic lore, adorned with antlers mirroring this very image. Across millennia, we see echoes of this motif. From the Lascaux cave paintings, to the stories of the goddess Artemis, the deer appears. Even the legend of Saint Hubert, who converted to Christianity upon seeing a vision of a crucifix between a stag’s antlers. The deer, a fugitive creature of the forest, speaks to our primal instincts, evoking both a sense of the hunt and a deep reverence for nature. Each time it reappears, it embodies our evolving relationship with the natural world and its mysteries. The symbolic weight that deer carries, is a testament to its enduring power over the human psyche.