Boulogne, from the Fancy Bathers series (N187) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Curator: Let’s pause here a moment before "Boulogne, from the Fancy Bathers series (N187)", printed by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. in 1889. It’s currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My first thought is 'charmingly quaint.' She looks like she’s wandered in from a music hall performance! There's a sense of stylized simplicity. The palette is gentle and limited, which reinforces the effect. Curator: Indeed. These "Fancy Bathers" were actually trade cards, distributed with tobacco products. Notice how the scene captures a figure, fashionable for the time in her bathing costume, posed against a muted backdrop of sea and sky. It exemplifies a sort of popular Japonisme with the use of flat perspective and color blocks, blending influences quite nicely. Editor: Absolutely, and it presents an idealized, almost dreamlike vision of leisure. I see a kind of semiotic construction here—the bathing suit acts almost like a codified uniform of seaside delight, not really functional swimwear. She appears less ready for a swim, more positioned to perform leisure, if you catch my meaning. Curator: I follow completely. Consider also the color. It’s restrained and somewhat formal in execution; her body stands slightly turned away from us and at the same time directed towards a certain goal—quite in line with how a "fancy bather" would present herself at a fashionable beach promenade of the time. Editor: Yes! The figure herself strikes a balance— poised yet also inviting and a little distant with her gaze fixed on something just beyond. There’s a wonderful play with posture. She’s relaxed but holds that pointing gesture! There's something wonderful in that mix. Curator: In total I feel as if we should enjoy her gaze. Its charm relies so completely on the artist playing upon both the contemporary fashions and the compositional trends that would have captured public attention at the time. Editor: An enjoyable moment, truly. Thanks for giving this trade card a bit more of a spotlight!