Captain Kidd, Burying Treasure, from the Pirates of the Spanish Main series (N19) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes by Allen & Ginter

Captain Kidd, Burying Treasure, from the Pirates of the Spanish Main series (N19) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes

1886 - 1891

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Artwork details

Medium
drawing, coloured-pencil, print
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 1/2 x 2 3/4 in. (3.8 x 7 cm)
Location
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Copyright
Public Domain

Tags

#portrait#drawing#coloured-pencil#print#coloured pencil#men#watercolour illustration#genre-painting#portrait art#watercolor

About this artwork

This small chromolithograph card shows Captain Kidd burying treasure and was created by Allen & Ginter as part of their Pirates of the Spanish Main series. The composition is divided into two distinct zones. On the right, a detailed portrait of Captain Kidd draws the eye with its bold colors and sharp lines. He is framed and set apart from the blurred, sepia-toned activity of his crew on the left. This separation creates a fascinating tension. Is he part of the scene or an icon, a symbol abstracted from the gritty reality of piracy? The very structure of the image destabilizes a fixed narrative, allowing a slippage between representation and reality. The treasure, the act of burying it, is almost an afterthought, secondary to the captivating image of Kidd himself. This focus suggests a shift from the tangible wealth to the romantic allure of the pirate figure.

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