Bowman, France, 16th Century, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have "Bowman, France, 16th Century," a chromolithograph issued around 1888 by Kinney Tobacco Company. It's part of their "Military Series" promoting Sweet Caporal Cigarettes and is now part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator: Immediately, the stylized representation jumps out. The flattened perspective, the bold outlines, there's a very conscious construction of form here. It almost recalls Ukiyo-e prints with that attention to line and flat planes of color. Editor: Absolutely. Beyond the artful depiction, consider the fleur-de-lis. They are a recurring emblem – the royal associations with the French monarchy and the notion of sovereignty that they embody. It makes this more than just a portrait of a soldier; it becomes a symbol of French identity. Curator: Precisely. Note how the artist uses the overall composition: the Bowman, posed stiffly with weapon in hand, acts as a vertical thrust. He occupies the primary field while being superimposed on that enigmatic geometric pattern in the background. There is a visual tension—or perhaps even irony— between the three-dimensional figure and this seemingly abstract pattern. Editor: I’d wager viewers in 1888 readily identified with the romanticism associated with these historical figures. The image ties the contemporary consumer – smoking a Sweet Caporal cigarette – to a lineage of strength and nobility. A neat marketing strategy, connecting the modern man with the romance and honor of the past. Curator: Interesting point. One could also argue that the use of such figures flattens history into consumable image—rendering the real Bowman into yet another semiotic product—readily disseminated and broadly "understood." The figure almost disappears. Editor: That tension you've described—between accessible icon and cultural complexity—highlights the lasting impact of these symbols. There's far more than meets the eye than one initially realizes. Curator: It truly exemplifies the profound, albeit subtle ways even the smallest works operate on multiple levels, both as material objects and as generators of encoded cultural significance.