Mlle. Lobestini, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

This is a promotional cigarette card from the "Actors and Actresses" series, dating back to the late 19th century. The subject, Mlle. Lobestini, is seen here in a theatrical pose, her hands gracefully placed behind her head, an attitude of allure and self-display. The gesture of raised arms, baring the neck and torso, is an age-old invocation of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Recall Botticelli's Venus, emerging from the sea, her pose echoing this very gesture. This motif transcends time, reappearing in various forms throughout art history, each time imbued with layers of cultural meaning. Consider the psychological implications, too. In Mlle. Lobestini's depiction, it stirs something primal within us, a recognition of beauty and vulnerability, forever captured in the collective memory of art. The cigarette card becomes a carrier of cultural memory, linking the ephemeral world of advertising with the timeless realm of art and myth.