Water Dog, from the Dogs of the World series for Old Judge Cigarettes 1890

Curator: There's a wistful quality to this little fellow, wouldn't you say? Sort of a gentle, observant sadness. Editor: Goodwin & Company produced this artwork, a print, circa 1890, called "Water Dog, from the Dogs of the World series for Old Judge Cigarettes," and today it resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. But melancholy? Really? To me, he simply looks like he is posing for the picture. Curator: It's in the eyes. Look closely, you can see an acknowledgement of something just beyond the frame. It feels allegorical, almost, this "Water Dog" archetype, pulled from some long-forgotten fable. Water, of course, carries its own symbolism, often alluding to emotionality, purification. It all adds layers to this canine portrait. Editor: While I agree about water often carrying rich symbolism, I wonder if we're imbuing too much meaning onto what was likely just a piece of commercial ephemera? These types of prints were basically trading cards inserted into cigarette packs. Their function was primarily promotional, driving sales of tobacco products. They likely didn't overthink it beyond selling product. Curator: Perhaps, but even within those constraints, symbols creep in. The "Dogs of the World" – what does that imply about the late 19th century, this impulse to classify, catalogue, possess knowledge about all corners of the Earth, reflected even in cigarette cards? And the "Water Dog"—specifically, does this animal embody certain traits attributed to dogs or our shared cultural concept of water? Editor: That's interesting - viewing these cards not as isolated images but part of a larger project of knowledge. Given their mass distribution, they certainly participated in shaping a shared, if sometimes superficial, understanding of the world. "Water Dog" likely evokes loyalty, strength, perhaps the taming of nature, considering their working roles such as retrieving ducks, which resonates with the era's values. Curator: Exactly! These aren’t random images, and those values subtly get reified. Editor: Point taken! Looking closer, the coloured pencil work, somewhat impressionistic in its loose strokes, almost imbues the dog with a hazy dreaminess that invites imaginative associations rather than a concrete reading. Well, I think my skepticism has softened somewhat. Curator: It’s fascinating to see how such seemingly simple image still holds meaning for contemporary viewers. Editor: Yes. A little canine philosopher from the 19th century!