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

This is a chromolithograph titled "Parisian Dancer," part of the Dancing Women series by William S. Kimball & Co. The dancer dominates the composition with the cropped scenery behind her, she strikes a pose, her tutu and the surrounding elements create a balanced yet dynamic arrangement. The color palette is soft, dominated by pastel shades of pink, green, and blue. The light, airy quality of the colors enhances the sense of movement and grace. The texture is relatively smooth, typical of chromolithography, with fine details delineating the dancer's costume and features. This card was part of a marketing strategy that used the cultural cachet of Parisian dancers to promote tobacco products. It reflects the late 19th-century fascination with spectacle and performance. By employing the formal elements of color, line, and composition, the image constructs the dancer as an object of visual pleasure and cultural capital, essential for marketing. Note how the industrial and the aesthetic intersect to produce meaning, as the formal qualities of the image function as integral components of a broader economic strategy.