Gooseberry, from the Fruits series (N12) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1891

This chromolithograph, "Gooseberry", was designed as a collectible card for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. The composition is an interplay of foreground and background, where a young girl's face is framed by a dense arrangement of gooseberry branches. The artist’s use of stippling and soft pastel colors creates a visually pleasing texture. The girl's symmetrical face, with its gentle gaze, is set against the plant's organic, asymmetrical forms. This contrast invites us to consider the tension between natural and constructed forms of beauty. The artist destabilizes established meanings by blending nature and innocence, commodity and art. The card challenges the viewer to reassess cultural values and the interplay between commerce and aesthetics. It recognizes art as a site of ongoing re-interpretation, reflecting broader cultural and philosophical concerns.