Nautch-Dance, from National Dances (N225, Type 1) issued by Kinney Bros. 1889

Editor: Here we have "Nautch-Dance" a print drawing by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, created in 1889. It depicts a dancer, and I am immediately struck by the detailed rendering of her textiles. How do you approach interpreting this kind of image? Curator: It invites consideration of its formal construction, doesn't it? Note the artist's employment of line and color. The linearity, particularly in the drapery, contrasts rather starkly with the blocky, almost uniform background tone. And what purpose does that background serve, chromatically speaking? Editor: I see what you mean! The plain backdrop pushes the figure forward, making the textures and ornamentation stand out even more. So it’s about isolating the figure through color and texture contrast? Curator: Precisely. The chromatic choices further enhance that effect. Red, gold, and white—considered in isolation, they signify wealth and vibrancy. How are they employed, structurally, across the piece? Notice the strategic scattering, in the bangles, anklets, the ornamentation, across the bodice. It serves to activate the entire plane of the picture. Editor: That’s fascinating! I was so focused on the figure, I didn’t consider how the color distributed like that guides the eye around the composition. I’ll definitely look closer at the use of color in similar artworks moving forward! Curator: It’s a worthwhile exercise. The artwork itself presents an aesthetic experience divorced from explicit narratives.