Card Number 649, Louise Paulin, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card for Duke Cigarettes, featuring actress Louise Paulin, made around the turn of the century. Notice how Louise is posed, her hands delicately arranged as if mid-performance, gesturing in a manner reminiscent of classical oratory. Consider the gesture of the hand, a symbol laden with history. From ancient Roman rhetoric to Renaissance paintings, the raised hand has signified power, communication, and emotional expression. Think of the orator's commanding presence, the priest's benediction, or even a lover's gentle touch. It recurs in countless guises, each imbued with its own context, yet all echoing a primal need to connect, to express. This gesture reappears throughout history, morphing and adapting. The hand in art serves as a powerful conduit, bypassing conscious thought to stir our innermost feelings, reminding us of the enduring human drama played out across the ages.