Lola Yberri, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

This photograph by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company depicts Lola Yberri, an actress, around the turn of the century. Yberri's provocative pose, foot placed high on the steps, reveals a serpentine motif, recalling images of Salome or even Eve tempting Adam. This serpentine allure is an ancient archetype; we see it echoed in Renaissance paintings of seductive figures, and even earlier in depictions of powerful goddesses. This motif speaks to a deeply embedded psychological tension—the allure of the forbidden. Consider the emotional impact: Yberri’s gaze avoids direct contact, heightening the sense of a captivating, yet unattainable figure. It is this very dance between attraction and distance that has allowed the serpentine woman to reappear throughout history.