Cricket, from the Games and Sports series (N165) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

Editor: So, this piece is "Cricket, from the Games and Sports series" created by Goodwin & Company around 1889, using drawing, coloured pencil, and print. I am quite intrigued by the contrast between the formal portrait on the left and the somewhat Impressionistic scene of the cricket game itself. How might we interpret the social context embedded in this artwork? Curator: It's a very telling image of its time. Think about it: an idealized portrait of a woman alongside a depiction of a male-dominated sporting event, both functioning as advertisement. Consider how the emergent mass media of the late 19th century helped define and reinforce gender roles. What public message do you think Old Judge Cigarettes was trying to send here? Editor: Perhaps it's playing into the traditional idea of separate spheres – the domestic for women and the public for men. The portrait almost feels like an endorsement. Curator: Precisely! And it speaks to how commercial entities began to utilize visual culture to solidify these notions, almost manufacturing desire and aspiration. Do you notice anything about the crowd depicted in the background of the game? Editor: They seem very blurred, almost like figures in a dream or quickly jotted down sketches! Curator: In that sense, how might you contrast the "realism" and importance given to the portrait versus that implied “reality” that this event happened with those actors? Where is the artist emphasizing value? Editor: So, the detailed portrait elevates the woman, while the slightly blurred, softer lines of the cricket match creates the idea that she has something to admire. The historical context definitely sheds a new light on what I thought was just a sporty scene! Curator: Indeed. These pieces served a very specific purpose beyond just being aesthetically pleasing, acting as cultural artifacts shaping the viewers’ understanding of the world around them.