A Short History: General Ulysses S. Grant, from the Histories of Generals series (N114) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Smoking and Chewing Tobacco 1888

Editor: This is "A Short History: General Ulysses S. Grant," a print from 1888 made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It uses lithograph and colored pencil. There is something very vibrant in how the different frames tell a story through an eclectic layout. What compositional techniques stand out to you in this piece? Curator: The formal organization of this print is quite striking. Note the deliberate division of the image into quadrants, each employing distinct compositional strategies. The portrait utilizes a traditional bust-length format, drawing attention to Grant's face and uniform, while the other sections are almost abstract through form and implied lines of action. Do you see how each segment interacts with and yet remains distinct from the others? Editor: I do. There’s a deliberate contrast between the composed portrait and the more dynamic battle scenes, and those swirly forms at two corners which create depth. What’s the effect? Curator: Precisely. The swirling sections do create a form of abstracted, yet familiar depth. The contrast accentuates a fragmented narrative of Grant's career as a general, reducing history to disjointed images. It doesn’t so much ‘tell’ the story of Ulysses Grant, but invites you, by design, to create it yourself. A portrait, flag, explosions… each symbolic, yet detached. What else catches your eye? Editor: The color palette seems significant, all those reds, blues and earth tones and how some colors connect elements from all parts of the composition. Is that also intentional, unifying while still being disparate? Curator: It’s likely not coincidental that Duke, Sons & Co selected those specific colors for this artwork. By creating points of chromatic similarity across sections, a visual association between portrait and action scene, for example, is enhanced while subtly reinforcing associations. The print subtly creates thematic resonances throughout each scene. Editor: I now see a carefully calculated way to tell a story through images, all held together formally to encourage connection. Thank you. Curator: Indeed, by dissecting its formal elements, we can begin to comprehend how meaning is constructed and disseminated, layer by layer.