Foot Chassseur, Landwehr, Germany, 1886, from the Military Series (N224) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1888

Editor: So, here we have a print from 1888, "Foot Chasseur, Landwehr, Germany, 1886," created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. It's from their Military Series, lithographs and colored pencil drawings used to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It’s oddly charming! What strikes you most about this particular image? Curator: Well, aside from the obvious anachronism – art as advertisement, always a slippery slope! – there’s this… air of earnestness. It’s almost comical, the soldier standing there so stiffly. The artist is clearly striving for realism in the uniform detail, yet the flatness of the print medium sort of undermines it all. Does he look proud, or just resigned to selling cigarettes? What do you think of the choice of a German subject given the intended American consumer? Editor: Hmm, I hadn't considered the possible cultural dissonance. Maybe it was meant to evoke a sense of worldly sophistication? I am fascinated by his rather severe mustache juxtaposed with the "Sweet Caporal" brand name, though! Curator: Precisely! That jarring contrast, it's almost Dada before Dada. Think about it – the absurdity of war trivialized into a marketing gimmick. What story does this tell about art’s role in society at that time, do you suppose? Do you find it unsettling, or is it just a funny relic of the past? Editor: Both, perhaps! It's definitely given me a lot to think about regarding the relationship between art, commerce, and national identity. Curator: Absolutely, and it's precisely these messy intersections that make art so endlessly captivating. Who knew a cigarette card could spark such contemplation!