Gordon Setter, from the Dogs of the World series for Old Judge Cigarettes 1890

This is a late 19th-century chromolithograph of a Gordon Setter, made by Goodwin & Company for the Old Judge Cigarettes series. Its diminutive size belies a composition that is carefully constructed to present the breed's key attributes. The subject is rendered with a striking contrast between the dog’s dark coat and the amber highlights around its face, chest, and legs. The use of color is not merely descriptive; it creates depth and dimension. The texture, achieved through the lithographic process, lends a tactile quality to the image, inviting a closer look. The overall effect is one of poised elegance. The dog is centered and presented in profile, a pose that highlights the animal’s form while inviting semiotic interpretation. What does this careful composition tell us about the cultural values attached to this breed, or the aspirations of the smoking consumer who collected these cards? Perhaps the artist also plays with our understanding of representation and reality, blurring boundaries between documentation and idealized portraiture. Consider the small scale combined with the precision of detail. This emphasizes the material reality of mass production, which transforms nature into a collectable image, asking us to reconsider the very nature of art and its relationship to commerce.