Miss Johnson Dressed as Jewish Lady of Constantinople, from the set Actors and Actresses, Second Series (N71) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888 - 1890

This small chromolithograph, created by W. Duke, Sons & Co., presents Miss Johnson costumed as a "Jewish Lady of Constantinople." Immediately, we observe a carefully constructed image: the soft pastel hues create a delicate, almost ethereal quality, while the composition is neatly arranged with a clear focus on the figure's face and elaborate headwear. The structural elements here reveal a complex interplay of representation and cultural coding. Note how the artist uses color—the contrast between the muted tones of the clothing and the vibrant colors of the turban—to draw our eye and perhaps exoticize the subject. This image, intended for mass consumption, participates in constructing and disseminating ideas about identity and otherness. Consider how such images, through their formal properties and widespread circulation, contributed to broader discourses about race, gender, and cultural difference, reflecting and shaping societal attitudes of the time. It serves as a potent reminder that art is always embedded within larger systems of meaning.