The Little Fisher Maiden, from the Illustrated Songs series (N116) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1893

This chromolithograph, "The Little Fisher Maiden," was made around the turn of the 20th century by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a promotional item for their Honest Long Cut Tobacco. Chromolithography is a color printing technique, where multiple lithographic stones – one for each color – are used to create a layered image. This allowed for mass production of colorful images, making them accessible to a wide audience. The image depicts a young girl with a fishing net, referencing a popular song. Note how the printed dots create soft textures in the sky, water, and clothing, lending a gentle, idyllic quality to the scene. But remember, this image was designed to sell tobacco, part of a global capitalist system. Chromolithography fueled consumer culture. The countless impressions demanded a great deal of labor, from the artists and technicians preparing the stones, to the factory workers operating the presses. Looking at this print, we should consider the relationship between art, commerce, labor, and leisure in the industrial era, and ask ourselves what counts as art.