A Deadly Peril, from the Magic Changing Cards series (N223) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company 1889

This lithograph, printed by the Kinney Tobacco Company, presents us with an allegory of mortal danger. The woman, caught in a tempestuous cloud, clutches at her breast, her expression a mix of fear and vulnerability. Her gesture, hands crossed protectively, echoes the Venus Pudica, an ancient pose seen in depictions of Aphrodite, symbolizing modesty and an attempt to conceal. Yet, here, it speaks more to a primal instinct of self-preservation. In Botticelli's "Birth of Venus", the goddess covers herself as she emerges from the sea, an acknowledgment of beauty’s power and potential vulnerability. Similarly, our figure is exposed, not by nudity, but by the sheer force of the peril enveloping her. Note how this motif has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings through time. It engages our deepest, subconscious understanding of vulnerability, protection, and the cyclical nature of peril and rescue.