Alexander the Great, from Leaders series (N222) issued by Kinney Bros. 1888

This small chromolithograph of Alexander the Great was made by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, as part of their Leaders series. These cards, printed on paper, were inserted into cigarette packs. This was the most popular form of color printing in the late 19th century. The process involved creating a separate lithographic stone for each color, which was then printed in register to create the final image. The smooth surface of the paper and the layering of inks give the image a distinctive look, almost like a printed textile. What’s interesting here is the way that the production of this image is completely bound up with consumer culture. Unlike a painting or sculpture, which might be seen as a unique work of art, this chromolithograph was made to be reproduced on a mass scale. It was a cheap, disposable object, designed to be collected and traded. This challenges our traditional ideas about art, and invites us to think about the relationship between creativity, commerce, and the everyday.