Captain, Princess Hussars, Spain, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

This chromolithograph from 1886, produced by the Kinney Tobacco Company, depicts a Captain of the Princess Hussars in Spain. The rising sun in the background symbolizes not just the dawn of a new day but also the dawning of national pride and military might. Consider the recurring sun motif; it echoes ancient solar deities, found in Egyptian and Roman iconography, representing power, divinity, and enlightenment. Here, the sun's rays cast a golden hue upon the Captain, linking him to these ancient symbols of authority and heroism. The sun, though, is a symbol with a cyclical progression, always present through time. Its potent imagery continues to resurface, evolve, and acquire fresh significance in various historical settings.