Card 10, Grapta Comma, from the Butterflies series (N183) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1888

This chromolithograph trading card of "Card 10, Grapta Comma" was issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. Immediately, we notice the symmetrical arrangement of the composition. The figure is centered, and the butterfly wings are mirrored on either side. This creates a sense of balance and order. However, this symmetry is disrupted by the subject herself. The subject, a woman in a red dress with butterfly wings, embodies a strange and unsettling visual. We are confronted with a hybrid of human and insect. The image destabilizes our understanding of fixed categories. The bright, warm colors of the figure's dress and skin contrast with the cooler tones of the background, creating a tension that is both visually stimulating and conceptually intriguing. Is this an attempt to elevate the status of the natural world, or is it a commentary on the artificiality of human constructs? Ultimately, the card invites us to question the boundaries we impose on the world around us. It remains a testament to the enduring power of art to challenge our perceptions and provoke new ways of seeing.