In the Museum of Art, from the Snapshots from "Puck" series (N128) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1888

This chromolithograph was made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. around 1870 as part of a series promoting Honest Long Cut Tobacco. The print satirizes the experience of working-class Irish immigrants visiting an art museum, likely the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The men's mispronunciation of "Rembrandt" and their concern for the rights of union painters serve as the source of humor. This image provides insight into the social dynamics of the time, specifically class tensions and the cultural assimilation of immigrant communities. The print engages with the concept of high culture and who has the authority to define it. It suggests that art institutions are not easily accessible to all members of society, and that cultural literacy can be a marker of social status. To better understand this artwork, one could research the history of Irish immigration to New York, labor movements in the late 19th century, and the development of art museums as public institutions. The meaning of this image depends on its original social context.