No Game, from the Talk of the Diamond set (N135) issued by Duke Sons & Co., a branch of the American Tobacco Company 1888

Curator: Here we have "No Game," a print created with coloured pencil in 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It’s part of the Talk of the Diamond set, which was a series of trading cards. What are your immediate thoughts? Editor: It's got a delightfully awkward energy! That poor, bedraggled hunter looks utterly defeated, and the dog's nonchalant foot-licking just adds to the humor. It’s like a silent film still. Curator: Precisely! The composition certainly enhances that. Notice the division of space; the verticality of the baseball official on the left contrasted with the horizontal sprawl of the hunter and marsh on the right. It establishes a clear binary between regulated activity and the chaotic failure of nature. Editor: Right, one figure represents expectation, the other reality. Look at that chap on the left practically bursting with, shall we say, 'optimism', while the guy is getting intimate with the mud, wondering what went wrong. The frogs floating about adds something comical as well. Curator: Yes, a commentary on social expectations versus lived experience perhaps? Furthermore, we must consider the inherent structure of the trading card, designed for collection and exchange. Its very existence relies on repeated consumption and interpretation. Editor: I'd say you can almost hear it - the umpire's cry, the buzz of the unseen mosquitoes, and the sad slurp of the dog doing his thing! It brings it alive in a really charming way, this little card! It's also really relatable, despite being an odd little scene. It has a 'nothing is going my way' feel that strikes me as universal. Curator: True, we might posit that this simple image functions as a microcosm of the anxieties and disappointments endemic to the human condition! The semiotic reading offers various interpretations contingent upon socio-historical context. Editor: I think I'll just remember the dog next time I'm feeling down, thank you. Curator: And with that visceral connection to the work, we hope our listeners take a moment to truly internalize and reflect. Editor: Perhaps they should contemplate buying their dogs little ties to help feel distinguished?