Fishing, "Help me pull him in," from the Terrors of America set (N136) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1888 - 1889

Editor: This is a print called "Fishing, 'Help me pull him in,'" from the Terrors of America set, made around 1888 or 1889 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It’s a small drawing with coloured pencils. It has a naive charm, but the composition is really unusual, almost collaged. What stands out to you when you look at it? Curator: The composition is, indeed, intriguing. Consider how the artist has disrupted the conventional picture plane. The tilted square showcasing the boy fishing conflicts with the bordering vignettes of landscape and ornamentation, creating a dynamic tension. What does this fragmented approach signify, and how does it impact our understanding of the depicted scene? Editor: That’s a great point. The tilt definitely makes it feel less stable, more like a fleeting moment. I guess I hadn’t really thought about *why* they’d do that. Curator: Precisely. And what about the colour palette? Note the contrasting application of muted earth tones and vibrant, almost gaudy embellishments. The impasto adds texture, defying the two-dimensional nature of the print. It begs the question: is there a narrative being communicated through colour and form? Editor: I see what you mean! It’s not just a simple picture. The colours and the composition really pull against each other. It almost feels like it’s fighting for your attention. Curator: The dissonance is undeniable, and perhaps deliberate. The surface disrupts and actively competes with the depicted scene, thus rendering visible the construction of this piece. It certainly makes for a richer, if perplexing, visual experience. Editor: This has really changed how I see the artwork! I appreciate that you showed me how to look beyond the obvious subject. Curator: And I value your willingness to engage in the formal nuances, hopefully, moving forward you find these tools enriching and empowering for the next artworks you study.