Nubia, from the Natives in Costume series (N16) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1886

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the bold simplicity. The composition directs my eye right to the figure, the way the planes of color create a powerful, immediate impression. Editor: This is "Nubia," one of the "Natives in Costume" series (N16) by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, dating back to 1886. These were trading cards included in cigarette packs. Consider what the image says about its historical context. Curator: Indeed. The use of colored pencils gives a certain texture. Note the figure's drapery and skin tones rendered with considerable academic flourish, and how that contrasts with the more flattened, decorative background. Editor: These cards served a purpose, promoting the brand and constructing perceptions of different cultures for a burgeoning consumer market. The title "Nubia," places the figure, an orientalist shorthand typical of its era. Curator: Yes, this piece sits at a complex intersection. The way the colors interact. The balance, too; notice the placement of the figure in the landscape—it gives the picture such incredible balance, such poise, even, and so little detail. Editor: Precisely. This work uses image circulation in commodity culture, as racial identity turns into a product to consume, as cigarettes became a status object, sold in relation to exoticized places. Allen & Ginter of Richmond, Virginia profited greatly by equating consumption with adventure and culture. Curator: I suppose, it could be considered that these visual markers created some framework for visual identity for many ordinary people who consumed it? The spear he carries mirrors and emphasizes the erectness of the pose too. Editor: Definitely, yet consider the wider ramifications of a globalizing visual culture and the marketing strategies needed to fuel the cigarette production machine! We’re left seeing that seemingly decorative flourish carries a powerful political punch. Curator: I’m always brought back to the sheer formalism here—even in these works where utility might outshine artistic intent. Editor: And I think it highlights the deep connection of economic, industrial, and material dimensions present even in a small portrait.