Governor McEnery, Louisiana, from "Governors, Arms, Etc." series (N133-2), issued by Duke Sons & Co. 1885 - 1892

Curator: At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we're looking at a print entitled "Governor McEnery, Louisiana, from 'Governors, Arms, Etc.' series," created between 1885 and 1892 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It combines lithography with colored pencil. What's your immediate take? Editor: The juxtaposition of imagery feels inherently unbalanced. Governor McEnery appears rather staid, framed by scenes carrying distinctly different connotations and radiating very different emotional temperatures. Curator: Precisely! Look at how the Louisiana coat of arms featuring the pelican feeding its young, a powerful symbol of sacrifice and provision, is directly alongside a scene of sugarcane harvesting—likely depicting the labor of enslaved or recently freed people. The blatant advertising of "Duke Cigarettes" further complicates the narrative. Editor: Semiotically, the elements fight each other for dominance. The hard lines of the lithography attempt a clear statement, but the varying visual registers undermine a singular, coherent message. Is this intended to celebrate Louisiana, McEnery, or Duke cigarettes? The signifiers are a jumble. Curator: It certainly provides a fragmented and problematic depiction of the South. Note also the image of the Mississippi River—commerce, industry, yet shadowed by a complicated past of exploitation and forced labor. These commercial cards acted as miniature time capsules, revealing anxieties and aspirations of the time. Editor: And the choice of color contributes to the fractured reading experience. The muted tones of the governor's portrait contrast sharply with the bolder colors in the landscapes surrounding him. Curator: It's a potent mix of image and text, revealing both the promise and the deep moral ambiguities embedded in late 19th-century American capitalism. The symbols reveal uncomfortable truths if you care to decipher them. Editor: Indeed. Analyzing these deliberate artistic and structural decisions offers valuable lessons regarding intent and influence within historical works.