Light Artillery, Austria-Hungary, from the Military Uniforms series (T182) issued by Abdul Cigarettes 1881

Curator: First impressions, iconographically speaking? I'm struck by the rigidness. The portrait of this Light Artillery officer from Austria-Hungary, part of a series by Abdul Cigarettes around 1881, it’s got a kind of melancholic stiffness. The lithograph feels almost…pressed. Editor: Pressed is perfect! There's a definite weight to him, both literally – look at the density of that uniform – and figuratively. It’s academic art doing its job, making even a cigarette card feel Official with a capital O. Tell me more about these series. Curator: Well, these collectible cards were popular premiums, a mix of portraiture and genre painting aimed to appeal to a growing sense of nationalism and militarism. It’s funny; "Light Artillery" sounds nimble, but this chap looks anything but. The upward sweep of the feather, however, does hint at some lightheartedness or flair. Editor: The uniform itself tells a story, doesn't it? The bright red epaulettes, the precise placement of the stars… it's designed to inspire a specific kind of emotion, pride but also distance. These aren't meant to be relatable portraits, but rather emblems of an idea. What I keep thinking about is what 'light' means in 'light artillery'. The juxtaposition of light artillery in such solemn attire makes this seem ridiculous. Is he aware? I wonder… Curator: Absolutely. The colors pop in that 'orientalist' sort of way that romanticized warfare; even the shading is trying to lift him from his own grim world! Also note the ‘profile view.’ I think we aren't meant to see anything but one very controlled view, as the icon of idealized service. The ‘drawing’ here almost tries to elevate his place into myth more than man. Editor: And Abdul Cigarettes are hardly innocent bystanders. By distributing these images, they actively participate in spreading, or at least endorsing, that vision. Advertising the man with a military man, that's saying something back then. Curator: It’s remarkable how such a small print can contain so much ideological baggage, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Absolutely. And how those echoes continue to reverberate today, albeit perhaps in a more self-aware, even ironic way. Who's looking and smoking now?