Journalist, from the Occupations for Women series (N166) for Old Judge and Dogs Head Cigarettes 1887

This small chromolithograph, "Journalist" was made by Goodwin & Company around the late 19th century. The composition features a woman posed as a journalist, seated at a writing desk, with bold and contrasting colors drawing the eye across the image. The journalist's attire is a key structural element. The red cap and vest, the yellow skirt, and the blue boots, create a striking contrast. The composition draws attention to the contrapuntal pose of the journalist. Her gaze directs us back into the scene, while her body is in the act of writing. The image flirts with the transgression of gender roles, placing a woman in the traditionally male occupation of journalism. The tension between the overt display of the journalist's body and the intellectual nature of her occupation challenges the conventional categories of feminine virtue and professional competence. The artist seems to play with the semiotic codes of gender and profession.