A Great Rent, from the Jokes series (N87) for Duke brand cigarettes 1890

Editor: Here we have "A Great Rent," a print made around 1890 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. The scene shows a boy attempting to climb a post with a dog holding onto his torn clothing below. I’m struck by the humor, but I wonder how viewers at the time would have understood it. How do you interpret this image within its historical context? Curator: It’s fascinating to consider the context in which these cards were produced and circulated. These cards, included in cigarette packs, acted as a form of advertising and, in a sense, democratized art. They put images in the hands of a wide audience. What do you think of the subject of the picture? Editor: The picture is humorous, but I do not understand why they include a kid climbing a pole being menaced by a dog, or the meaning behind the title: "A Great Rent." Curator: "A Great Rent" most likely refers to the torn garment in the dog’s mouth. Genre paintings often romanticized everyday life and appealed to the burgeoning middle class. The rise of consumer culture also encouraged such forms of entertainment and the wide spread availability of consumer goods. Do you believe the picture carries social commentary? Editor: Possibly, through the depiction of this boy's situation or interaction with the dog. He is perhaps an impoverished youth, who might have trouble paying for the damage inflicted on his garments by the family dog. However, considering this card would have appealed to children and adults, it does not suggest a particular moral reading. Curator: Precisely! While seemingly simple, such images offered viewers a shared cultural touchstone, promoting both the product and a certain idealized view of everyday life accessible to all. So the value is found on a kind of a leveling effect for a rising middle-class. Editor: That's a really helpful perspective. I’ll definitely consider how the cultural and economic climate influenced the image's production and reception moving forward. Curator: And I learned from you! Your analysis on how it applies to consumers of all kind opens it up further than I'd thought about previously!