Irene, from the Ballet Queens series (N182) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This small chromolithograph of Irene, from the Ballet Queens series, was produced by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. as a collectible card. Irene, with her coquettish glance, presents herself as the very image of playful balance and movement. Note the balls and the ribbons: symbols of fleeting joy and skillful control. Consider the ancient Greek goddess Fortuna, often depicted with a ball, representing the capriciousness of fate. Here, Irene juggles not just objects, but perhaps also expectations and desires, transforming the symbol into a display of personal agency. The ribbons, reminiscent of classical drapery, evoke the idea of constant transformation and the unveiling of hidden truths. Like the figures in Botticelli's "Primavera," Irene embodies a sense of dynamic energy, reminding us that life is a continuous dance between order and chaos. The ballet dancer is no longer at the mercy of fate, but a master of her own destiny.