One Good Turn Deserves Another, from the Jokes series (N87) for Duke brand cigarettes 1890

This chromolithograph titled "One Good Turn Deserves Another", made around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. for Duke brand cigarettes, presents us with a peculiar visual arrangement. The composition is bisected, featuring a man below and a woman peering from a window above. The cool blues and grays of the man's attire contrast with the warmer reds and oranges of the woman, creating a visual tension, yet the unifying element is the stream of water connecting them. This is visual humour, playing with the idea of reciprocal actions. The print hints at social commentary, with the contrast between the two figures reflecting socio-economic divides. Is this a critique of social exchange? The semiotic interplay between the figures, water, and architectural setting opens up interpretations about gender, class, and the nature of human interactions. Ultimately, it's the formal arrangement and the interplay of visual signs that invites us to question the narrative and the cultural values.