Jack of Clubs (black), from the Playing Cards series (N84) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have the Jack of Clubs playing card from 1888, created for W. Duke, Sons & Co. The materials listed are drawing and print. It feels very graphic and flat. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: I’m immediately drawn to its context as advertising, specifically for Duke brand cigarettes. It challenges the hierarchy that often separates “fine art” from everyday objects and commercial design. How does mass production intersect with artistic creation here? Editor: That's an interesting perspective. I hadn't considered the impact of mass production. Does the fact that it's a print influence your reading of it? Curator: Absolutely. We have to consider the labor involved, the printing techniques used, and how these cards were circulated. It speaks to the rise of consumer culture. What sort of symbolism could be at play? Editor: Well, it's a playing card. So, risk, chance, maybe even a little deception? But then there is also this figure of the Jack which has always been something of an archetype. Curator: Precisely! These cards are not just games, they are small-scale commodities designed for mass consumption. Think about the paper quality, the ink, the decisions that went into making this object affordable and desirable. The whole point of mass appeal is to get people to embrace both it, and the product. Editor: That makes me think about how the very accessibility of print changed the art world. It created opportunities while blurring these boundaries between commerce and high art. Curator: Exactly! The democratization of art through affordable, mass-produced objects like these playing cards opened the doors. These cigarette cards blur categories in terms of use, material, social class and design, with great artistry! Editor: This was enlightening! Looking at it now, I am seeing that a playing card embodies way more than it lets on.