Reserve, from the Parasol Drills series (N18) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

Curator: Alright, let’s talk about "Reserve, from the Parasol Drills series," N18. This charming piece was made in 1888 for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. The artists employed watercolour and photography in a print. What's grabbing you about it? Editor: It's the confidence! She looks like she knows exactly what she wants, and the delicate colours almost lull you into thinking she’s a gentle flower, until BAM! The assertive lines of the outfit cut in, telling you she's nobody’s fool. Curator: Indeed. These cards were meant to be collected, a little reward with your smoke, reflecting idealized images and cultural trends of the time. Women with parasols were a recurring theme, especially popular given the burgeoning interest in Japonisme influencing art. Editor: You see that reflected in the flattening of space and stylized design of her garment. There’s a hint of exoticism there, right? It’s like she's wearing a whisper of far-off lands. Curator: Absolutely. The "Parasol Drills" series highlighted a romanticized vision of leisure, of which woman occupied the center. The visual vocabulary of the era romanticized trade and wealth as signifiers of beauty. It tells us how imagery circulated within society and was intertwined with commerce. Editor: I always get a pang of…melancholy looking at these old portraits. Like they are reaching through time, across the social gulf, to say, "Remember me? I was here.” Curator: Beautifully put. They’re artifacts brimming with information on period aesthetics but resonate with these intensely personal impressions. Editor: It makes you wonder what the woman herself thought of it, whether she enjoyed all the pomp. Curator: We may not have the specific answers, but pondering that feeling… that is where the true art resides, wouldn’t you agree?