Leopard, from the Wild Animals of the World series (N25) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This is "Leopard, from the Wild Animals of the World series" made in 1888 by Allen & Ginter, using watercolor and colored pencil, it looks like it was a trading card. What a captivating rendering! It almost feels like I could reach out and touch the animal’s fur. What's your perspective on this piece? Curator: Well, consider the materials – watercolor, colored pencil, even the card stock itself. These aren't materials of "high art" in the traditional sense, but tools of mass production, of *consumption*. These cards were designed to be collected, traded, even discarded. Editor: I see your point! I guess I didn't initially think of it like that. Curator: It's fascinating to consider this artwork within the context of late 19th-century consumer culture. These weren't intended as enduring masterpieces, but ephemeral objects tied to the Allen & Ginter cigarette brand. The imagery of the exotic animal certainly played a role in shaping popular ideas of the 'Wild'. Do you think it romanticizes labor practices used in its production? Editor: That's interesting. It wasn't something I'd thought about at all initially. It brings up ideas about colonialism too – this depiction of a leopard being circulated to sell cigarettes, perhaps downplaying the labor or resource extraction used to manufacture and distribute this card, and the cigarettes. Curator: Precisely! And how that process is deliberately obscured and disguised through beautiful artwork. The means of production aren’t really displayed. Editor: This definitely changes how I see this seemingly simple picture. It highlights connections between art, commerce, and power in the 19th century in a very surprising way. Thanks for expanding my perspective! Curator: My pleasure! Examining the materials and how an artwork was manufactured or distributed always opens new pathways.