Hungarian Dancer, from the Dancing Women series (N186) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Editor: We’re looking at “Hungarian Dancer,” a print from the Dancing Women series by Wm. S. Kimball & Co., dating back to 1889. The use of coloured pencil gives it this lovely soft, almost dreamy quality. There's a sweetness, maybe even innocence, about her pose and expression that I find quite striking. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, she does have that postcard charm, doesn't she? These were actually trade cards, mass-produced inserts in cigarette packs. I imagine it tucked in with tobacco...gives it a very different, almost subversive flavour, eh? Forget Botticelli's Venus – this dancer represents everyday beauty, a spectacle designed to lure you into a smoke break! It reflects a period of growing fascination with international dance and the 'exotic'. The company presented "ethnic types" for popular consumption, wrapped in idealized fantasy. I see art used as a commodity, blurring the lines between cultural appreciation and consumerism. What about you? Does it feel like an appropriation of another culture, in your eyes? Editor: I hadn't really considered it in the context of tobacco advertisement before! The ukiyo-e style and the "Hungarian" label definitely signal that reaching for the exotic... but yes, maybe bordering on the edge of, ah... borrowing. Curator: Exactly! The exotic...as a selling point! Editor: Wow. I'll certainly never look at a cigarette card the same way again. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure, now, where's the nearest gallery?