From the series "Sports Girls" (C190), issued by the American Cigarette Company, Ltd., Montreal, to promote Gloria Cigarettes 1885 - 1895

This small promotional card from the American Cigarette Company features a woman in athletic gear. The palette is soft, dominated by pastel shades of green, pink and beige, which gives a veneer of respectability. The design’s gentle colors and rounded forms contrast with the more angular and progressive works of the period. The subject is centered, creating a balanced but static composition. She occupies a liminal zone of representation, reflecting tensions and aspirations, and opening a space for thinking about the changing role of women in society and the commercial strategies used to both reflect and influence these changes. Her ambiguous expression makes it difficult to read any explicit emotional state. Here, the artwork is less about faithfully capturing reality and more about constructing a visual narrative that resonates with the viewer. In this way, it challenges our understanding of historical representation by engaging with broader cultural and philosophical questions.