Consuelo, from the Ballet Queens series (N182) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Consuelo, from the Ballet Queens series, was issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. The lithograph print presents a petite figure adorned in theatrical garb, seated against a faux-stone prop. Note the deliberate arrangement of the composition, using diagonal lines created by the body, dress, and legs which direct the viewer's eye and subtly destabilize traditional portraiture. The red ribbons crisscrossing her bodice and the layered textures of the skirt play with semiotic codes of performance and display. The gaze is directed by the way Consuelo rests her head on her hand. Consider how the piece operates within the framework of late 19th-century advertising. Does the idealized dancer challenge fixed meanings or engage with new ways of thinking about space, perception, power or representation? The artist’s rendering, especially the intricate details of the dress and the soft rendering of the skin, invite a conversation about the intersection of commerce, art, and the evolving image of women.