Circassian Imperial Bodyguard, Russia, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This drawing, "Circassian Imperial Bodyguard, Russia, 1886," made by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, is intriguing. It's vibrant despite its age, but there's something almost comical about the soldier's posture. It is a figure of pride, standing so tall and armed, but it also has a slight look of disbelief on their face. What’s your take on this work? Curator: It tickles my fancy, this miniature monument to machismo courtesy of…cigarettes! The brazen use of the Imperial Bodyguard to sell tobacco, well, it's marketing genius meets historical irony, don’t you think? These trade cards often romanticize other cultures, conveniently packaged with a capitalist underbelly. How very…1886. But what do you suppose is the intended emotional effect? Strength, virility, something else entirely? Editor: Perhaps the exotic appeal? Like, smoke this, and you too can embody the mysterious East? It feels reductive. Curator: Absolutely! But the artist still makes choices in color and composition; the red and green in the tunic, along with the details of chainmail… even caricature must find the art that lies within. Do we perceive even a glint of steel through the puffery? What about the face? Editor: I see that a caricature is meant to exaggerate specific features but without entirely losing a sense of realism in others, like the eyes... but yes, it is subtle! I didn’t originally appreciate that tension. Thank you! Curator: Indeed, so even advertisements become artifacts with a good squint! Each line holds the echoes of history, commerce, and artistic intention, doesn't it? What an unlikely place to discover depth. Editor: This image has far more levels to it than I originally thought; an advertisement on its surface, it depicts Russian militarism and makes some aesthetic decisions I wasn't accounting for. Thank you for this enlightening chat!