Lillian Grubb as "A Bundle of Sweetness," from the series Fancy Dress Ball Costumes (N73) for Duke brand cigarettes 1889

Curator: This portrait, titled "Lillian Grubb as 'A Bundle of Sweetness,'" hails from an 1889 series of fancy dress ball costumes created for Duke brand cigarettes. It resides now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: "Sweetness" is right. Look at the confectionary ornamentation – it's as though she’s a human display case, dressed to tempt and be consumed! You have ribbons that look like licorice and a party hat made of some shiny substance. What were these things actually made from? Curator: That's a great question. Though presented as a drawing and print, the subject embodies very specific ideas circulating in that era around idealized femininity. The confection motifs represent purity and indulgence, which, when associated with her image, tap into archetypes. Think: sweetness personified. Editor: Archetypes aside, someone had to meticulously render those candied details. These tobacco cards existed within an elaborate system of consumption. I wonder how much the artists themselves were paid compared to the overall profit Duke was generating. Was this artisanal or factory work? Curator: Good points to consider. Also notice that Lillian Grubb appears poised yet compliant, as if willingly assuming this edible identity. We see a merging of visual spectacle and social conditioning. Her gaze seems passive but her clothes represent a symbol of playful indulgence. Editor: And the implications for young women, bombarded by these images? Did "sweetness" translate to a kind of silent availability? This wasn’t just an image, it was capital! Curator: Precisely. We're dealing with the powerful, embedded codes within what might initially seem like frivolous ephemera. Editor: Well, now I’m looking at the ways our appetites shape our view. This isn't just portraiture, it's social packaging. It makes me rethink every advertisement I've ever seen, from its material production to its symbolic loading. Curator: It certainly shifts perspective, highlighting the multi-layered impact of these seemingly simple images on society.