Dimensions: Sheet: 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 in. (6.9 × 3.8 cm)
Copyright: Public Domain
Editor: So, this is Card 15, "Pyrameis Tammeamea," from the Butterflies series made by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. in 1888. It seems to be some kind of colored-pencil print. There's something really whimsical about it, a Victorian-era fairy tale vibe. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Ah, yes! I flutter right back to childhood when I see this! Tell me, what tickles your imagination? Is it the literal fusion of woman and insect or the feeling it evokes of Ukiyo-e? Those commercial prints always tried so hard, you know? Almost touchingly, like a kid dressing up for a school play. Look how painstakingly they've rendered the butterfly wings with colored pencil! What a dreamy flight of fancy for a cigarette card. Editor: I definitely see what you mean about that kid-in-a-costume thing. I’m just curious why combine a portrait with butterfly wings at all? Curator: Well, in those days, trade cards like these were all the rage, little gems slipped into cigarette packs to entice buyers. The butterfly, especially combined with the portrait, elevates a mundane object to something poetic, even transformative. A cigarette card attempts to transcend its everyday origins to become something beautiful! Editor: That makes sense. The beauty distracts from the commercial intention! So, what started as advertising became, well, kinda art! Curator: Exactly! The Victorians did love to dress things up! And what’s life, really, but finding art in the everyday? Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this transformation with me, Editor. Editor: Thank you for shedding light on what can be considered mundane, finding meaning in its cultural and commercial context!
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