Card 41, Chrysophanus Thoe, from the Butterflies series (N183) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1888

Curator: Isn't she luminous? I’m captivated by the almost otherworldly glow of the "Chrysophanus Thoe" card from William S. Kimball & Company's Butterflies series, circa 1888. Editor: Yes, it does possess an airy charm, I perceive the careful orchestration of form and color attempting to capture fleeting beauty within the rigorous geometry of its small frame. Curator: Rigorous! Maybe in its format, but for me, it's pure fancy. It's as though a pre-Raphaelite fairy tale has been shrunk down and printed on, well, probably cigarette cards back in the day, right? And there she is— a gorgeous woman morphing into a butterfly—or the other way around? Editor: Exactly; she exemplifies the Art Nouveau’s fascination with transformation and its stylistic response to Japonisme, which is echoed throughout this piece. Observe the delicate portrait executed in coloured pencil, the meticulous detail, the very considered composition all point toward that dialogue with Japanese aesthetics. Curator: I see the Japonisme thing... that makes total sense when you break it down, but when I see the card it feels so…romantic and nostalgic for a future that never was! Is that even possible? The way the woman blends with the butterfly… she seems both free and trapped at the same time. What a vibe! Editor: The use of vibrant colour juxtaposed with a rigid planar composition lends itself to those simultaneous interpretations—freedom and restriction; reality and idealism—all essential elements to pictorial and art theory of the late 19th century. Curator: And maybe all we want is the shimmer, a whisper of what could be, a transformation ready to spring loose and… okay, now I'm waxing too lyrical, aren't I? Editor: Not at all; perhaps it speaks more directly to you in this mode precisely because, despite its clear formal intentions, it hints towards the immeasurable in ways art always aims to reveal.