Card 530, Z. De Lussa, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 6) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a trading card for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, featuring actress Z. De Lussa. The sepia tone flattens the image, emphasizing the textural interplay between the soft focus of the portrait and the crisp typography below. Notice how the composition is neatly divided: the actress's image occupies the upper two-thirds, while the brand information is starkly presented in the lower third. The actress's slightly averted gaze and the soft rendering of her features evoke a sense of intimacy, a personal connection that contrasts sharply with the commercial declaration below. Here, the actress's face, rendered through the photographic process, becomes a commodity sign, a type that circulates within a network of desire and consumption. By examining the formal arrangement and contrasting elements, we begin to unpack the complex semiotics at play, where art, commerce, and identity converge.