Rhinoceros, from the Quadrupeds series (N21) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1890

This small print of a rhinoceros was created by Allen & Ginter for their Quadrupeds series, designed for cigarette packaging. The image, rendered in a palette of muted browns and greens, presents the animal in profile against a backdrop of stylized foliage. Notice how the artist employs a delicate lithographic technique to define the rhinoceros, with soft gradations of color suggesting its wrinkled hide. The animal's form is somewhat flattened, indicative of the commercial nature of the print. It’s a curious blend of naturalism and artifice. The composition is structured to highlight the exotic nature of the beast, reflecting a late 19th-century fascination with natural history. The print functions as both an advertisement and a collectible, embedding the image of the rhinoceros within a network of consumer culture and visual codes. In this way, the formal qualities of the image are inextricable from its function as a cultural artifact, revealing how perceptions of nature were mediated through commerce and popular imagery.