Mlle. Royer, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

This is a promotional card for Duke Cigarettes, part of the Actors and Actresses series, circa 1870-1920. Mlle. Royer is depicted in profile, adorned with a large hat, a symbol that weaves through art history, signifying status and femininity. The hat, particularly voluminous, calls to mind similar adornments in Renaissance portraiture, yet its function here shifts. No longer merely a marker of nobility or wealth, the hat becomes an emblem of the modern woman, associated with public life. Think of the figures in Manet's paintings, where hats become a focal point, expressing a certain liberated and stylish attitude. The hat as an emotionally charged symbol of identity and transformation. Consider also how photography democratizes portraiture, making images of fashionable figures accessible to the masses. The image of Mlle. Royer, distributed with cigarettes, suggests a blurring of art, commerce, and identity, reflecting our ever-evolving cultural landscape. A continuous loop of symbolic transformation.