Sky Terrier, from the Dogs of the World series for Old Judge Cigarettes 1890

Editor: So, this is a chromolithograph from 1890, "Sky Terrier, from the Dogs of the World series," published by Goodwin & Company. It was originally a cigarette card. The dog looks very calm and stately. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: This little chap embodies so much more than just "dog." Don't you think there's something almost symbolic here, captured in a throwaway item. Imagine, people casually discarding images imbued with the Victorian's complex relationship with animals – beloved companions, yet still, somehow, objects. And what about these breeds elevated through selective breeding, becoming emblems of class, luxury... status! See that confident stillness? Does it mask some quiet resignation about being packaged and sold? Editor: That's an interesting point about commodification. I hadn’t thought about that. I was focusing on the artistic style – the detail in the fur. Curator: Precisely! That delicate detail. Notice the pastel colours… the almost impressionistic daubs rendering this canine's fur… It’s like a fleeting memory of nature itself! Editor: It is interesting that they used such detail on something designed to be disposable. Curator: Disposable art is still art, just ephemeral. This wee terrier becomes both a window into the aesthetic sensibilities, commercial interests, and social preoccupations of the late 19th century. What do you think of the flat composition? Does it remove the scene further from realism and enhance the notion of idealisation? Editor: Yes! It becomes almost like an icon of "dogness". Thanks, I have learned more than expected about pups! Curator: As have I.